The  MARTIN  ROWAN  CHAFFIN 
Collection  of  Public  School 
Text-Books 

PRESENTED  TO 

Trinity  College  Library 


By  his  grandchildren  in  honor  of  M. 
R.  Chaffin,  who  taught  public  school 
in  Davie  and  Yadkin  counties  for  a 
number  of  years  beginning  in  1850,  and 
in  honor  of  his  father,  MVilliam  Owen 
Chaffin,  who  first  taught  a North 
Carolina  public  school  in  1843,  in 
Yadkin  county. 

For  the  especial  use  of  the  Department  of 
Education  and  of  the  Durham  county  and 
city  teachers. 

DATE zl ° 

V 


UNVEILING  OE  LEE  MONUMENT 
' At  Kichmond,  Va.,  Friday,  May  39,  1890, 


tz  ^ 9 


THE  LI  EE 


or 

Gen.  Robert  E.  Lee, 


EOR  CHILDREN, 

In  Easy  Words. 

ILLUSTRATED. 


MRS.  MARY  L.  WILLIAMSON. 


B.  E.  JOHNSON  PUBLISHING  CO. 
RICHMOND,  V7\. 


Copyright,  1895, 

BY 

Mbs.  MARY  L.  WILLIAMSON. 


PREFACE. 


In  preparing  the  “Life  of  Lee  for  Children,”  for  use 
in  the  Public  Schools,  I beg  leave  to  place  before  teachers 
good  reasons  for  employing  it  as  a supplementary  reader. 

First,  I urge  the  need  of  interesting  our  children  in 
history  at  an  early  age.  From  observation  I find  that  the 
minds  of  children  who  study  history  early  expand  more 
rapidly  than  those  who  are  restricted  to  the  limits  of 
stories  in  readers.  While  teaching  pupils  to  read,  why 
not  fix  in  their  minds  the  names  and  deeds  of  our  great 
men,  thereby  laying  the  foundation  of  historical  knowl- 
edge and  instilling  true  patriotism  into  their  youthful 
souls  ? 

Secondly,  In  looking  over  the  lives  of  our  American 
heroes  we  find  not  one  which  presents  such  a picture  of 
moral  grandeur  as  that  of  Lee.  Place  this  picture  before 
the  little  ones  and  you  cannot  fail  to  make  them  look 
upward  to  noble  ideals. 

This  little  book  is  intended  as  auxiliary  to  third 
readers.  I have  used  the  diacritical  marks  of  Webster, 
also  his  syllabication.  In  compiling  this  work  I referred 
chiefly  to  Gen.  Fitzhugh  Lee’s  “Life  of  Lee,”  and 
Rev.  J.  William  Jones’  “Personal  Reminiscences  of 
R.  E.  Lee.” 


Mary  L.  Williamson. 

New  Market,  Va., 

3 £ T 


V / ‘ ■ c' 

Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2017  with  funding  from 
Duke  University  Libraries 

/ 


https://archive.org/details/lifeofgenroberte01will 


The  Sword  of  Robert  Lee. 


Father  Ryan 


Forth  from  its  scabbard,  pure  and  bright, 
Flashed  the  sword  of  Lee ! 

Far  in  the  front  of  the  deadly  fight, 

High  o’er  the  brave,  in  the  cause  of  right. 

Its  stainless  sheen,  like  a beacon  light, 

Led  us  to  victory. 

Out  of  its  scabbard,  where  full  long 
It  slumbered  peacefully — 

Roused  from  its  rest  by  the  battle-song, 
Shielding  the  feeble,  smiting  the  strong, 
Guarding  the  right,  and  avenging  the  wrong— 
Gleamed  the  sword  of  Lee ! 

Forth  from  its  scabbard,  high  in  air, 

Beneath  Virginia’s  sky. 

And  they  who  saw  it  gleaming  there, 

And  knew  who  bore  it,  knelt  to  swear 
That  where  that  sword  led  they  would  dare 
To  follow  and  to  die. 

Out  of  its  scabbard  ! Never  hand 

Waved  sword  from  stain  as  free, 

Nor  purer  sword  led  braver  band, 

Nor  braver  bled  for  a brighter  land, 

Nor  brighter  land  had  a cause  as  grand, 

Nor  cause  a chief  like  Lee  ! 

Forth  from  its  scabbard  ! All  in  vain ! 

Forth  flashed  the  sword  of  Lee! 

’Tis  shrouded  now  in  its  sheath  again, 

It  sleeps  the  sleep  of  our  noble  slain. 

Defeated,  yet  without  a stain, 

Proudly  and  peacefully. 


The  Life  of  Gen.  Robert  E.  Lee. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Birth  and  Youth. 

Robert  Edward  Lee  was  bom  at  Stratford, 
Westmoreland  county,  Virginia,  on  the  19th 
of  January,  1807. 

His  father,  General  Henry  Lee,  had  been 
a great  chief  in  Washington’s  army.  They 
sometimes  call  him  “Light-Horse  Harry 
Lee.”  While  with  Washington,  he  was  ever 
in  front  of  the  foe,  and  his  troopers  were 
what  they  always  should  be — the  eyes  and 
ears  of  the  army. 

After  the  war  he  was  Governor  of  Vir- 
ginia, and  then  a member  of  Congress.  It 
was  he  who  said  in  a speech  made  before 
Congress  after  the  death  of  Washington,  that 
he  was  “First  in  war,  first  in  peace,  and 


10 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


first  in  the  hearts  of  his  countrymen.”  He 
also  said,  ‘‘Virginia  is  my  country;  her  will 
I obey,  however  sad  the  fate  to  which  it  may 
subject  me.” 

The  long  line  of  Lees  may  be  traced  back 
to  Launcelot  Lee,,  of  Loudon,  in  France,  who 
went  with  William  the  Conqueror  upon  his 
expedition  to  England;  and  when  Harold 
had  been  slain  upon  the  bloody  field  of  Hast- 
ings, Launcelot  was  given  by  William  the 
Conqueror  an  estate  in  Essex.  From  that 
time  the  name  of  Lee  is  ever  an  honorable 
one  in  the  history  of  England. 

In  the  time  of  the  first  Charles,  Richard 
Lee  came  to  the  New  World  and  found  a 
home  in  Virginia.  He  was  a man  of  good 
stature,  sound  sense,  and  kind  heart.  From 
him  the  noble  stock  of  Virginia  Lees  began. 
He  was  the  great-great-grandfather  of  Robert, 
who  was  much  like  him  in  many  ways. 

Robert’s  mother  was  Anne  Hill  Carter, 
who  came  from  one  of  the  best  families  of 
Virginia.  She  was  a good  and  noble  woman, 


TEE  LIFE  OF  GEE  ROBERT  E.  LEE.  ' 11 

who  lived  only  to  train  her  children  in  the 
right  way. 

Stratford,  the  house  in  which  Robert  was 
born,  is  a fine  old  mansion,  built  in  the  shape 
of  the  letter  H,  and  stands  not  far  from  the 


STRATFORD. 


banks  of  the  Potomac  River  and  near  the 
birthplace  of  "Washington.  Upon  the  roof 
were  summer  houses,  where  the  band  played, 
while  the  young  folks  walked  in  the  grounds 
below,  and  enjoyed  the  cool  air  from  the  river 
and  the  sweet  music  of  the  band. 


12 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


He  had  two  brothers  and  two  sisters.  His 
brothers  were  named  Charles  Carter  and  Sid- 
ney Smith,  and  his  sisters  Anne  and  Mildred. 

When  Robert  was  but  four  years  of  age 
his  father  moved  to  Alexandria,  a city  not 
very  far  from  the  Stratford  House,  where  he 
could  send  his  boys  to  better  schools.  But 
he  was  not  able  to  stay  with  them  and  bring 
them  up  to  manhood.  Shortly  after  he  had 
moved  to  Alexandria,  he  was  hurt  in  Balti- 
more by  a mob  of  bad  men,  and  he  was 
never  well  again. 

When  Robert  was  six  years  old,  his  father 
went  to  the  West  Indies  for  his  health. 
While  there  he  wrote  kind  letters  to  his  son, 
Charles  Carter  Lee,  and  spoke  with  much  love 
of  all.  Once  he  said,  ‘ ‘ Tell  me  of  Anne.  Has 
she  grown  tall?  Robert  was  always  good.” 
He  wished  to  know,  also,  if  his  sons  rode  and 
shot  well,  saying  that  a Virginian’s  sons  should 
be  taught  to  ride,  shoot,  and  tell  the  truth. 

When  he  had  been  there  five  years,  and 
only  grew  worse,  he  made  up  his  mind  to 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


13 


return  home.  But  he  grew  so  ill  that  he 
was  put  ashore  on  Cumberland  Island  at  the 
home  of  a friend.  He  soon  gave  up  all  hope 
of  life.  At  times  his  pain  was  so  great  that 
he  would  drive  his  servants  and  every  one 
else  out  of  the  room.  At  length  an  old 
woman,  who  had  been  Mrs.  Greene’s  best 
maid,  was  sent  to  nurse  him.  The  first 
thing  General  Lee  did  when  she  came  into 
the  room  was  to  hurl  his  boot  at  her  head. 
Without  a word,  she  picked  up  the  boot  and 
threw  it  back  at  him.  A smile  passed  over 
the  old  chief’s  face  as  he  saw  how  brave  she 
was,  and  from  that  time  to  the  day  of  his 
death  none  but  Mom  Sarah 
could  wait  on  him.  Two 
months  after  the  sick  soldier 
landed  he  was  dead.  His 
body  was  laid  to  rest  amid 
the  cedars  and  flowers  of 
the  South,  and  it  has  never 
been  moved  to  Virginia. 


MOM  S AH  Ail. 


14 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


At  this  time  Robert  was  only  eleven  years 
old.  If  he  was  a good  boy,  it  was  his  mother 
who  kept  him  so,  for  he  never  knew  a father’s 
care.  His  mother  once  said  to  a friend, 
“How  can  I spare  Robert!  He  is  both  a 
son  and  a daughter  to  me.” 

About  that  time  the  girls  and  other  boys 
were  away  from  home,  and  she  had  no  one 
but  Robert  to  care  for  her.  He  took  the 
keys  and  “kept  house”  for  her  when  she 
was  sick,  and  also  saw  to  all  of  her  outdoor 
work.  He  would  run  home  from  school  to 
ride  out  with  her,  so  that  she  might  enjoy 
the  fresh  air  and  sunshine.  When  she 
would  complain  of  the  cold  or  draughts,  he 
would  pull  out  a great  jackknife  and  stuff 
the  cracks  with  paper,  for  the  coach  was  an 
old  one. 

So  he  grew  up  by  her  side,  a good  and 
noble  boy.  At  first  he  went  to  school  to  a 
Mr.  Leary,  who  was  ever  his  firm  friend. 
Then  he  went  to  the  school  of  Mr.  Benjamin 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


15 


H.  Hallowell,  who  always  spoke  of  him  as  a 
fine  young  man. 

Robert  was  fond  of  hunting,  and  would 
sometimes  follow  the  hounds  all  day.  In 
this  way  he  gained  that  great  strength  which 
was  never  known  to  fail  him  in  after  life. 

The  old  home,  in  Alexandria,  where  his 
mother  had  lived,  was  always  a sacred  place 
to  him.  Tears  after,  one  of  his  friends  saw 
him  looking  sadly  over  the  fence  of  the  gar- 
den where  he  used  to  play.  “I  am  looking,” 
he  said,  ‘ ‘ to  see  if  the  old  snow-ball  trees  are 
still  here.  I should  be  sorry  to  miss  them.” 

When  he  was  eighteen  years  old,  he  went 
to  West  Point  to  learn  to  be  a soldier.  He 
was  there  four  years,  and  in  that  time  never 
got  a bad  mark  or  demerit.  His  clothes 
always  looked  neat  and  clean,  and  his  gun 
bright.  In  short,  he  kept  the  rules  of  the 
school  and  studied  so  well  that  he  came  out 
second  in  his  class. 

When  he  came  home  from  West  Point,  he 
ound  his  mother’s  old  coachman,  Nat,  very 


16 


TEE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


ill.  He  took  him  at  once 
to  the  South  and  nursed 
him  with  great  care.  But 
the  spring-time  saw  the 
good  old  slave  laid  in  the 
grave  by  the  hand  of  his 
land  young  master. 

Not  very  long  after,  his 

UNCLE  NAT. 

dear  mother  grew  quite  ill. 
He  sat  by  her  bedside  day  and  night,  and 
gave  her  all  her  food  and  medicine  with  his 
own  hand.  But  his  great  care  and  love  could 
not  save  her.  He  was  soon  bereft  of  her  to 
whom  he  used  to  say  he  “owed  everything.” 

Some  one  has  said,  “Much  has  been  writ- 
ten of  what  the  world  owes  to  ‘Mary,  the 
mother  of  Washington’ ; but  it  owes  scarcely 
less  to  ‘Anne,  the  mother  of  Lee.’” 

Gen'-er-al,  the  head  of  an  army. 

Ex'-pe-dl'-tion,  a voyage  ; a trip,  with  an  aim  in 
view. 

Stat'-ure,  height. 

Draughts  (drafts),  currents  of  air. 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


17 


Tell  what  you  remember  about — 
Robert’s  father. 

Robert’s  mother. 

The  situation  of  his  home. 
Robert’s  kindness  to  his  mother. 
His  life  at  West  Point. 


18 


TEE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


CHAPTER  II. 

A Young  Engineer. 

In  1829,  when  twenty-two  years  old,  Robert 
entered  the  Engineer  Corps  of  the  United 
States,  and  thus  became  Lieutenant  Lee. 

It  is  the  duty  of  these 
engineers  in  time  of  peace, 
to  plan  forts,  to  change 
the  course  of  rivers  which 
make  sand-banks  at  wrong 
places,  and  to  do  other 
work  of  the  same  kind. 
Lieutenant  Lee  was  sent 
at  once  to  Hampton  Roads, 
in  Virginia,  to  build  strong 
works,  not  dreaming  that  in  after  years  it 
would  be  his  fate  to  try  to  pull  them  down. 

Lieutenant  Lee  was  married  on  the  30th 
of  June,  1831,  to  Mary  Custis,  who  was  the 
great-granddaughter  of  Mrs.  Washington, 


Lieut,  of  Engineers. 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEE  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


19 


and  the  only  child  of  George  Parke  Custis, 
the  adopted  son  of  Washington.  She  lived 
at  a line  old  place  on  the  Virginia  bank  of 
the  Potomac  River,  called  Arlington.  At 
this  time  Lieutenant  Lee  was  very  handsome 
in  face  and  tall  and  erect  in  figure. 

Two  years  after  his  marriage  he  was  sent 
to  the  city  of  Washington.  This  change 
was  pleasant  to  him,  for  he  was  then  near 
the  home  of  his  wife. 

In  1837  he  was  sent  to  St.  Louis  to  find 
means  to  keep  the  great  Mississippi  River 
in  its  own  bed.  It  was  a hard  task,  but  he 
at  last  forced  the  mighty  river  into  the 
channel  he  wished.  While  at  work,  some 
men,  who  did  not  know  what  great  things 
he  could  do,  tried  to  drive  his  workmen, 
away,  and  even 
brought  up  can- 
non. Lee  did 
not  mind  them, 
but  went  on 
with  his  work,  . 


ARLINGTON. 


20 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


and  soon  had  the  great  river  to  flow  in  the 
right  place. 

From  St.  Louis  he  was  sent  to  New  York 
to  plan  and  build  new  forts  to  protect  that 
great  city.  He  was  now  a captain  of  engi- 
neers, and  was  soon  to  try  the  horrors  of 
war. 

In  1846,  a war  broke  out  between  the 
United  States  and  Mexico.  “Engineers  are 
of  as  much  use  to  an  army  as  sails  to  ships.” 
They  have  to  make  roads  and  bridges,  to 
plant  big  guns  and  draw  maps,  and  guide 
the  men  when  going  to  light. 

At  flrst,  Captain  Lee  was  sent  to  join  Gene-, 
ral  Wool,  in  the  north  of  Mexico.  Not  long 
before  the  battle  of  Buena  Vista  (Bwa-na- 
vees-ta),  General  Wool  sent  Lee  to  see  where 
Santa  Anna,  the  general  of  the  Mexicans, 
had  placed  his  army.  News  had  come  that 
he  was  not  far  off. 

Lee  rode,  with  only  one  man  to  guide 
him,  into  the  mountains.  After  he  had  been 
riding  for  some  hours,  he  saw  on  a hill-side 


MUX1CO 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


21 


the  smoke  of  fires,  and  objects  which  he 
thought  were  tents.  He  went  on,  in  a very 
cautious  way,  till  he  had  gotten  quite  near. 
Then,  he  saw  the  white  objects  were  only 
flocks  of  sheep  and  herds  of  cattle  and  mules 
on  the  way  to  market.  He  found  out  from 
the  men  driving  them  that  Santa  Anna  had 
not  crossed  the  mountains,  and  then  went 
back  to  his  friends,  who  thought  that  they 
would  never  see  him  again. 

Though  he  had  ridden  forty  miles  that 
night,  he  rested  but  three  hours  before 
taking  a troop  of  horsemen  and  going  far 
into  the  mountains  to  find  out  just  where 
Santa  Anna  had  gone  with  his  army. 

Soon  after  this  brave  deed,  Captain  Lee 
was  sent  to  join  General  Scott  in  the  south 
of  Mexico.  He  was  put  to  work  at  Yera 
Cruz  (Ya-ra-kroos),  a large  town  on  the  coast. 
There  was  a high  wall,  with  strong  forts 
around  Yera  Cruz.  General  Scott  wished 
to  take  this  city  from  the  Mexicans.  So 
Captain  Lee  had  to  plant  big  guns  and 


22 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


build  forts;  and  to  do  this  he  worked  night 
and  day. 

As  they  were  short  of  men,  he  was  told  to 
take  some  sailors  from  a man-of-war  to  help 
with  the  work.  These  men  began  to  com- 
plain loudly.  “They  did  not  enlist  to  dig 
dirt,  and  they  did  not  want  to  work  under 
a landlubber  anyhow.”  Their  captain  said 
to  Lee,  “The  boys  don’t  want  any  dirt  to 
hide  behind;  they  want  to  get  on  the  top , 
where  they  can  have  a fair  fight.”  Lee 
quietly  showed  his  orders,  and  told  the  old 
“salt”  he  meant  to  carry  them  out,  and 
pushed  on  the  work  ’mid  curses  both  loud 
and  deep. 

Just  as  the  work  was  done,  the  Mexicans 
began  to  fire  their  guns  at  that  point,  and 
these  brave  sons  of  the  sea  were  glad  enough 
to  hide  behind  the  “bank  of  dirt.”  Not 
long  after,  their  captain  met  Captain  Lee  and 
said,  “I  suppose  the  dirt  did  save  some  of 
my  boys.  But  I knew  that  we  would  have 
no  use  for  dirt-banks  on  shipboard,  that 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


23 


there  what  we  want  is  a clear  deck  and  an 
open  sea.  And  the  fact  is,  Captain,  I don’t 
like  this  land  fighting  anyway;  it  ’ aint  clean ” 

Vera  Cruz  was  taken  by  General  Scott  in 
two  weeks’  time.  Then  the  men  went  on 
over  hills  and  vales,  till  they  came  to  the 
strong  fort  on  Cerro  Gordo.  Captain  Lee 
then  found  a way  to  lead  the  Americans  to 
the  rear  of  the  Mexicans,  who  soon  broke 
and  fled. 

While  this  battle  was  raging,  Captain  Lee 
heard  the  cries  of  a little  girl,  and  found  by 
the  side  of  a hut  a Mexican  drummer  boy. 
His  arm  had  been  badly  hurt  and  a large 
Mexican,  who  had  been  shot,  had  fallen  on 
him.  Captain  Lee  stopped,  had  the  big 
Mexican  thrown  off  of  the  boy,  and  the  little 
fellow  moved  to  a place  of  safety. 

His  little  sister  stood  by.  Her  large 
black  eyes  were  streaming  with  tears,  her 
hands  were  crossed  upon  her  breast,  and  her 
hair  in  one  long  plait  reached  to  her  waist. 
Her  feet  and  arms  were  bare.  She  was  very 


24 


THE  LIFE  OF  OFF.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


thankful  to  Captain  Lee  for  saving  her 
brother. 

In  a letter  to  his  son  from  this  place,  he 
says:  “I  thought  of  you,  my  dear  Custis, 


CAPTAIN  TEE  RESCUING  DRUMMER  BOY. 

on  the  18th  in  the  battle,  and  wondered, 
when  the  musket  balls  and  grape  were 
whistling  over  my  head,  where  I could  put 
you,  if  with  me,  to  be  safe.  I was  truly 


TEE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE.  25 

thankful  you  were  at  school,  I hope,  learning 
to  be  good  and  wise.  You  have  no  idea 
what  a horrible  sight  a battle-field  is.” 

From  Cerro  Gordo,  they  went  on  fighting 
battles  until  they  came  to  the  large  and  rich 
city  of  Mexico. 

On  this  march,  Captain  Lee  was  always 
at  the  front  to  guide  the  men.  Once,  when 
one  part  of  General  Scott’s  army  had  lost  its 
way,  General  Scott  sent  seven  engineers  to 
guide  it  into  the  right  road.  They  had  to 
cross  a huge,  rough  bed  of  lava  and  rock. 
Six  of  them  went  back  to  camp,  saying  that 
they  could  not  get  across;  but,  Captain  Lee 
pressed  on  in  the  dark,  alone  and  on  foot, 
and  brought  the  men  out  in  safety.  Gen- 
eral Scott  once  said  that  it  was  the  greatest 
feat  done  by  any  one  man  during  the  war. 

There  were  many  battles  fought,  hut  at 
last  the  city  of  Mexico  was  taken  by  Gen- 
eral Scott.  In  after  years,  this  great  man 
was  heard  to  say  that  his  great  success  in 
Mexico  was  largely  due  to  the  skill  and 


26 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


valor  of  Robert  E.  Lee,  and  that  he  was  the 
best  soldier  that  he  ever  saw  in  the  field. 

In  the  midst  of  all  this  fighting,  his  boys 
were  ever  in  his  thoughts.  This  is  a part  of 
what  he  wrote  to  his  son  Custis  on  Christmas- 
Eve,  1846: 

“I  hope  good  Santa  Claus  will  fill  my 
Rob’s  stocking  to-night;  that  Mildred’s, 
Agnes’s,  and  Anna’s  may  break  down  with 
good  things.  I do  not  know  what  he  may 
have  for  you  and  Mary,  but  if  he  leaves  you 
one-half  of  what  I wish,  you  will  want  for 
nothing.  I think  if  I had  one  of  you  on 
each  side  of  me,  riding  on  ponies,  I would 
be  quite  happy.” 

JSTot  long  after,  he  wrote  to  his  boys  thus: 

“The  ponies  here  cost  from  ten  to  fifty 
dollars.  I have  three  horses,  but  Creole  is 
my  pet.  She  is  a golden  dun  color,  and 
takes  me  over  all  the  ditches  I have  yet 
met  with.” 

When  the  war  was  at  last  ended,  in  1848, 
Captain  Lee  went  home  for  a short  rest,  after 


TEE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


27 


which  he  was  sent  to  West  Point,  as  the 
Superintendent  of  the  Academy  from  whose 
walls  he  had  gone  forth  twenty-three  years 
before.  His  duty  was  to  watch  over  the 
studies  and  training  of  the  boys  who  would 
one  day  be  officers  in  the  army. 


Corps  (kore),  a body  of  troops. 

Officer,  one  who  has  charge  of  soldiers. 

Lava,  melted  matter  flowing  from  a volcano. 
Feat,  a great  deed. 

Lieuten'ant  (luten'ant),  an  officer  next  below  a 
captain. 

Tell  me — 

When  Robert  became  Lieutenant  Lee. 
Whom  he  married. 

Where  he  was  sent  in  1837. 

What  war  broke  out  in  1846. 

About  a great  feat  performed  by  Captain 
Lee. 

Where  he  was  sent  in  1848. 


28 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


CHAPTER  III. 

A Cavalry  Officer. 

After  being  three  years  at  West  Point, 
Captain  Lee  was  sent  to  Texas  as  Lieuten- 
ant-Colonel (kurnel)  of  the  Second  Regiment 
of  Cavalry.  Cavalrymen  are  soldiers  who 
fight  on  horseback  and  who  carry  sabers, 
and  pistols,  and  short  guns,  called  carbines. 

Colonel  Lee  did  not  wish  to  leave  the 
Engineer  Corps,  as  he  had  become  very  fond 
of  the  work,  and  had  won  a high  rank  in  it; 
but,  as  he  had  been  promoted  to  a higher 
place,  he  thought  it  best  to  take  it.  When 
at  West  Point,  he  had  been  a fine  horseman. 
He  was  still  fond  of  horses  and  liked  to  see 
them  fed  and  well  taken  care  of.  Though 
now  forty-six  years  of  age,  he  still  had  a firm 
seat  in  the  saddle  and  rode  well.  His  regi- 
ment was  sent  to  the  new  State  of  Texas, 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


29 


where  his  duty  was  to  watch  the  Indians 
and  keep  them  from  killing  the  whites. 

I have  no  doubt  that  Colonel  Lee  enjoyed 


LEE  CHASING  THE  INDIANS. 

riding  over  the  vast  plains  of  Texas,  but  life 
in  the  forts  was  not  very  pleasant  to  such  a 
man  as  Lee.  The  forts  were  in  the  midst  of 
dreary  plains,  and  there  were  only  a few  men 


30 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


at  each  post.  The  scouting  parties  were  led 
by  lieutenants,  and  the  higher  officers  would 
remain  at  the  forts  to  see  that  all  went  right. 
Such  a lonely  life  did  not  suit  our  hero,  but 
he  made  the  best  of  it. 

Near  his  first  post,  Camp  Cooper,  was 
an  Indian  Reserve,  where  the  Indians 
would  come  to  be  fed  by  the  Govern- 
ment. When  it  was  cold  and  food  was 
scarce,  they  would  come  in ; but  when 
the  grass  grew  in  the  spring  and  the  game 
was  fat,  they  would  go  of!'  and  become  wild 
and  savage  enough  to  kill  those  who  had 
been  kind  to  them. 

Catumseh,  a Comanche  chief,  was  at  the 
Reserve  when  Lee  was  at  Camp  Cooper. 
Lee  thought  it  would  be  better  to  visit  him 
and  tell  him  that  he  would  trust  him  as  a 
friend  so  long  as  he  behaved;  but  if  he  did 
not  behave  he  would  take  him  for  a foe. 
Catumseh  was  not  much  pleased  with  Lee’s 
speech,  but  gave  an  ugly  grunt  and  said 
that,  as  he  had  six  wives,  he  was  a “big 


THE  LIFE  OF  OEK  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


31 


Indian.”  Lee  had  better  “get  more  wives 
before  he  talked.”  This  visit  did  not  do 
much  good.  Catumseh  was  no  doubt  taking 
the  measure  of  Lee’s  scalp,  while  Lee  was 
displeased  with  the  sly  and  filthy  savage. 

The  Comanche  Indians  were  then  the 
fiercest  tribe  in  that  region.  They  ate  raw 
meat,  slept  on  the  ground,  and  were  great 
thieves  and  murderers.  They  were  fine  horse- 
men, and  moved  swiftly  from  place  to  place 
on  their  ponies. 

In  June,  1856,  Lee  was  sent  with  four 
companies  of  his  regiment  on  an  expedition 
against  the  Comanches,  but  they  could  not 
be  found.  The  wily  savages  had  fled  to 
their  desert  retreats,  where  foot  of  pale  face 
had  never  trod. 

From  Camp  Cooper  he  writes  to  Mrs.  Lee : 

“My  Fourth-of-July  was  spent  after  a 
march  of  thirty  miles  in  one  of  the  branches 
of  the  Brazos,  under  my  blanket,  which 
rested  on  four  sticks  driven  in  the  ground, 
as  a sun-shade.  The  sun  was  fiery  hot,  the 


32 


TEE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


air  like  a furnace,  and  the  water  salt;  still 
my  love  for  my  country  was  as  great,  my 
faith  in  her  future  as  true,  as  they  would 
have  been  under  better  circumstances.” 

The  change  of  weather  in  Texas  is  some- 
times very  great. 

In  another  letter,  ne  tells  his  wife  about  a 
cold  wind  or  norther.  “I  came  here  in  a 
cold  norther,  and  though  I pitched  my  tent 
in  the  most  sheltered  place  I could  hnd,  I 
found  this  morning,  when  getting  up,  my 
bucket  of  water,  which  was  close  by  my  bed, 
so  hard  frozen  that  I had  to  break  the  ice 
before  I could  pour  the  water  into  the  basin.” 

While  Colonel  Lee  rode  with  his  troopers 
from  fort  to  fort,  a dreadful  disease  broke  out 
among  them.  Many  died,  but  Colonel  Lee 
did  not  catch  the  disease,  though  he  lived 
among  his  men  and  ran  great  risks.  In 
these  sad  times,  his  thoughts  wTere  ever  with 
his  dear  ones  at  home. 

In  a letter  dated  Camp  Cooper,  June  9, 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


33 


1857,  he  tells  about  the  sickness  of  the 
troopers : 

“The  great  heat  has  made  much  sickness 
among  the  men.  The  children,  too,  have 
suffered.  A bright  little  l>oy  died  from  it  a 
few  days  since.  He  was  the  only  child,  and 
his  parents  were  much  grieved  at  his  loss 
* * *.  For  the  first  time  in  my  life,  I 

read  the  service  of  our  Church  over  the  grave 
to  a large  number  of  soldiers.”  A few  days 
after,  he  again  read  the  service  over  a little 
boy  who  had  died  with  the  disease. 

In  a long  letter  from  Fort  Brown,  Texas, 
December,  1856,  he  says: 

“I  thought  of  you  and  wished  to  be  with 
you.”  He  wrote  again:  “Though  absent, 
my  heart  will  be  in  the  midst  of  you ; I can 
do  nothing  but  love  and  pray  for  you  all. 
My  daily  walks  are  alone,  up  and  down  the 
banks  of  the  river,  and  my  chief  pleasure 
comes  from  my  own  thoughts,  and  from  the 
sight  of  the  flowers  and  animals  I meet  with 
here.” 


34 


THE  LIFE  OF  OEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


In  the  midst  of  this  wild,  lonely  life  he 
was  ever  true  to  his  faith  in  Christ,  which 
he  had  professed  alder  the  Mexican  war. 

There  was  at  Aldington  a large  yellow  cat, 
called  Tom  Tita.  All  the  family  were  fond 

of  him,  and  Colonel 
Lee  among  the  rest. 
This  led  him  to 
write  home  about 
the  cats  he  saw  in 
his  travels.  He 
told  once  of  a cat  called  by  his  mistress  Jim 
Hooks.  He  was  a great  pet,  but  at  last  died 
from  eating  too  much.  He  had  coffee  and 
cream  for  breakfast,  pound  cake  for  lunch, 
turtle  and  oysters  for  dinner,  buttered  toast 
and  Mexican  rats,  taken  raw,  for  supper. 
He  was  very  handsome,  but  his  “beauty 
could  not  save  him.”  The  kindness  of  his 
mistress  was  his  ruin. 

Again  he  told  his  little  girl  about  a cat 
which  was  dressed  up.  He  had  two  holes 
bored  in  each  ear,  and  in  each  wore  bows  of 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


35 


pink  and  blue  ribbon.  He  was  snow-white 
and  wore  a gold  chain  on  his  neck.  His 
tail  and  feet  were  tipped  with  black,  and  his 
eyes  of  green  were  truly  cat-like. 

In  the  summer  of  1857,  he  was  made 
Colonel  (kur'nel)  of  his  regiment.  The  next 
fall  his  father-in-law,  Mr.  Custis,  died,  and 
Colonel  Lee  went  home  for  a short  time. 
Mr.  Custis  left  Arlington  and  the  rest  of  his 
land  to  Mrs.  Lee,  and  he  also  willed  that  at 
the  end  of  five  years  all  of  his  slaves  should 
be  set  free.  He  had  chosen  Colonel  Lee  to 
see  that  his  will  was  carried  out. 

Colonel  Lee  stayed  as  long  as  he  could 
with  his  lonely  wife,  and  then  went  back  to 
his  post  in  Texas.  It  must  have  been  far 
from  easy  for  him  to  go  back  to  the  wild, 
hard  life  on  the  plains.  There  were  then 
iio  railroads.  The  United  States  mail  was 
carried  on  mules,  by  armed  soldiers  who 
rode  in  a gallop  from  place  to  place.  Often 
they  were  slain  by  the  Indians,  who  would 
scalp  them  and  leave  their  bodies  to  be 


36 


TEE  LIFE  OF  GEE.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


found  by  the  troopers  as  they  chased  the 
savages  back  to  their  retreats. 

Two  years  more  were  spent  in  Texas, 
when,  in  October,  1859,  we  find  him  again 
at  home,  and  taking  part  in  a great  tragedy. 

A man,  named  John  Brown,  made  a plan 
to  set  free  the  negro  slaves  who  were  then  in 
the  South,  and  to  kill  all  the  whites.  This 
plot  did  not  succeed,  and  John  Brown  and 
his  men  took  refuge  in  the  Round  House  at 
Harper’s  Ferry.  Colonel  Lee,  who  was  then 
at  home  on  a furlough,  was  ordered  to  take  a 
band  of  soldiers  and  capture  these  bold  men. 
He  went  at  once  to  Harper’s  Ferry  and 
quickly  took  them  prisoners.  They  were 
then  tried  and  hung  for  treason. 

Just  here,  I must-  tell  you  that  the  slaves 
were  blacks,  or  negroes,  who  had  first  been 
brought  to  this  country  from  Africa,  in  1619, 
by  the  Dutch,  and  sold  to  the  Virginia 
planters.  At  first,  the  planters  bought  them 
out  of  pity,  as  they  were  badly  treated  by 
the  Dutch.  But  after  a time  it  was  found 


IjETC  AT  JOHN  BROWN’S  FORT,  HARPER’S  FERRY 


38 


THE  LIFE  OF  OEK  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


that  the  negroes  worked  well  in  the  corn  and 
tobacco  fields,  and  that  they  made  money  for 
their  masters. 

Many  men  at  the  North  were  sea-going 
men,  and  they  soon  found  out  that,  by  sail- 
ing over  the  ocean  to  Africa  and  catching 
the  blacks,  they  could  sell  them  at  a great 
profit  to  themselves.  This  they  did,  and 
men  both  at  the  North  and  South  bought 
them,  though,  even  then,  there  were  some 
people  at  the  South  who  thought  it  wrong  to 
buy  and  sell  human  beings. 

In  the  State  of  Georgia  it  was  for  a time 
against  the  law  to  hold  negro  slaves. 

After  a while,  it  was  found  that  the 
climate  at  the  North  was  too  cold  for  the 
negro  to  thrive.  It  did  not  pay  the  men  at 
the  North  to  keep  them,  and  so  they  were 
sold  to  the  Southern  planters. 

In  the  South,  the  climate  was  hot,  like 
that  of  their  native  Africa,  so  they  did  well 
in  that  sunny  land. 

In  1808,  it  was  made  unlawful  to  bring 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROB  EFT  E.  LEE. 


39 


any  more  slaves  from  Africa  to  the  United 
States.  The  people  at  the  South  were  glad 
that  the  trade  in  slaves  was  stopped,  but 
the  Northern  traders  were  of  course  sorry 
that  they  could  make  no  more  money  in  that 
way. 

When  the  negroes  were  first  brought  from 
Africa,  they  were  heathen  savages ; but,  after 
a few  years,  they  learned  the  speech  and 
customs  of  the  whites ; and,  more  than  all, 
the  worship  of  the  true  God.  In  thinking 
of  this,  we  have  to  admit  that  slavery  must 
have  been  permitted  by  the  Lord  in  order  to 
bring  a heathen  people  out  of  darkness  into 
the  fight  of  the  Gospel. 

There  were  now  four  millions  of  negroes 
in  the  South.  There  was  great  love  between 
the  blacks  and  their  masters,  as  we  have 
seen  when  John  Brown  tried  to  get  the 
former  to  rise  up  and  slay  the  whites.  For 
years,  there  had  been  a feeling  in  the  North 
that  it  was  wrong  to  own  slaves,  and  some 


40 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


of  the  people  began  to  hate  the  South  and 
to  try  to  crush  it. 

The  South  felt  that  they  owned  the  slaves 
under  the  law,  or  Constitution  of  the  United 
States,  and  that  they  ought  to  be  let  alone. 
They  also  claimed  that  the  slaves,  as  a.  class, 
were  better  treated  than  any  other  working 
people  in  the  world.  They,  moreover,  said 
that  the  Southern  States  had  a perfect  right 
to  go  out  of  the  Union,  if  they  wished,  and 
set  up  a government  for  themselves.  This 
the  North  denied;  and  thus  they  quarreled 
about  the  rights  of  States,  and  slavery,  and 
other  things,  until  they  began  to  think  of 
war. 

In  a short  time  after  the  John  Brown  Raid, 
Colonel  Lee  was  back  at  his  post  in  Texas, 
but  he  was  much  troubled  at  the  state  of  his 
dear  country.  He  loved  the  Union  and  had 
lived  nearly  all  his  life  in  its  service;  but  he 
knew  that  Virginia  was  in  the  right,  and 
that  he  could  not  light  against  his  native 
State. 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEJST.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


41 


So,  when  the  war  came,  he  left  the  United 
States  Army  to  fight  for  Virginia  and  the 
South. 

He  was  offered  the  chief  command  of  the 
United  States  Army  if  he  would  remain  in  the 
“Union”  service.  He  knew  that  if  he  went 
with  the  South  he  would  lose  his  rank,  and  also 
his  lovely  home — Arlington,  but  “‘none  of 
these  things  moved  him  ’ ; his  only  wish  was  to 
knoiv , that  lie  might  walk  the  path  of  duty .” 

He  said  to  Mr.  Blair,  who  came  to  offer 
him  the  command  of  the  army:  “If  I 
owned  the  four  millions  of  slaves  in  the 
South,  I would  give  them  all  up  to  save  the 
Union,  but  how  can  I draw  my  sword  upon 
Virginia,  my  native  State?”  So,  when  Mr. 
Lincoln  called  for  troops  to  send  against  the 
South,  Lee  turned  his  back  upon  “wealth, 
rank,  and  all  that  a great  power  could  give 
him,  and  offered  his  stainless  sword  to  his 
native  State.”  His  great  soul  was  wrung 
with  grief,  but  he  obeyed  the  call  of  duty. 

He  went  at  once  to  Richmond,  and  was 


42 


TEE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


made  Major-General  of  the  Virginia  troops. 
His  three  sons  also  joined  the  Confederate 
army. 

General  Lee  was  now  fifty-four  years  old. 
He  had  been  thirty-two  years  in  the  service 
of  the  United  States. 

The  great  “Civil  War”  now  began.  The 
eleven  Southern  States  which  had  left  the 
“Union”  were  now  called  “The  Confederate 
States  of  America”;  Mr.  Jefferson  Davis 
was  made  President  of  them,  and  Richmond 
in  Virginia  was  made  the  capital  city. 


Sa'bers,  swords  with  broad  blades. 

Furlough  (fur'lo),  a leave  of  absence. 

Trea'son  (tre'zon),  the  act  of  being  false  to 
one’s  country. 

Promo'ted,  raised  to  a higher  rank. 

Reg'iment,  a body  of  troops  under  a colonel. 
Trag’edy,  an  action  in  which  the  life  of  a per- 
son is  taken.  / 


VIRGINIA  STATE  CAPITOL,  FORMERLY  OCCUPIED  BY  TITE  CONFEDERATE  CONGRESS 


44 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


What  do  you  know  about — 
Cavalrymen  ? 

Colonel  Lee’s  life  in  Texas? 
Catumseh  ? 

The  Comanche  Indians  ? 
The  negroes  ? 

John  Brown  ? 

The  wish  of  Lee  ? 

What  he  deemed  his  duty  ? 
The  great  “ Civil  War  ” ? 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


45 


CHAPTER  IV. 

A Confederate  General. 

In  this  little  book  I cannot  tell  all  that 
happened  during  the  Civil  War,  but  only  as 
much  as  will  relate  to  our  hero,  General  Lee. 

There  were  now  two  governments — one  at 
the  North;  the  other  at  the  South.  Mr. 
Abraham  Lincoln  was  President  of  the  North, 
or  Federals,  while  Mr.  Jefferson  Davis  was 
the  President  of  the  South,  or  Confederates. 
The  first  thought  of  the  North  was  to  defend 
Washington,  their  capital  city;  while  the 
South  was  just  as  busy  taking  care  of  Rich- 
mond, and  getting  arms  and  troops  ready 
for  war. 

In  this  war,  brother  fought  against  brother, 
and  friend  against  friend.  It  was  a time  of 
great  trouble  all  over  the  land.  At  the 
North,  one  hundred  thousand  men  were 
enlisted  in  three  days.  At  the  South,  the 


46 


TEE  LIFE  OF  GEE.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


feeling  was  more  intense.  Men  rushed  to 
arms  from  all  parts  of  the  country. 

You  must  notice  that  from  the  first  of  the 
war,  the  South  was  much  poorer  in  the  num- 
ber of  men  and  arms  than  the  North.  There 
were  at  the  North  eighteen  millions  of  whites; 
while  at  the  South,  there  were  only  six  millions. 
Through  all  the  South,  there  could  be  found 
only  fifteen  thousand  new  rifles  and  about 
one  hundred  thousand  old  muskets. 

The  Federals  wore  a uniform  of  blue,  while 
the  Confederates  were  clad  in  gray;  hence 
they  were  sometimes  called  “the  blue”  and 
“the  gray.” 

The  first  blood  which  flowed  in  this  war 
was  shed  in  Baltimore.  The  Sixth  Massa- 
chusetts Regiment,  as  it  was  passing  through 
the  city  on  its  way  south,  was  attacked  by  a 
band  of  men  who  loved  the  South  and  could 
not  bear  to  see  them  marching  on  to  tight 
their  brethren.  In  the  fierce  street  fight 
which  followed,  several  men  were  killed. 
This  happened  on  April  the  19th,  1861. 


GEN,  R.  E.  EEE  IN  WEST  VIRGINIA 


48 


TEE  LIFE  OF  GEE.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


The  first  gun  of  the  war  was  fired  at  half- 
past four  o’clock  April  12,  1861,  at  Fort 
Sumter,  in  South  Carolina.  This  fort  was 
taken  by  the  Confederates  after  a fight  of 
thirty-four  hours,  in  which  no  one  was  hurt 
on  either  side. 

During  the  first  months  of  the  war,  Gen- 
eral Lee  was  kept  in  Richmond  to  send  Vir- 
ginia, men,  who  came  to  fight  for  the  South, 
to  the  places  where  they  were  most  needed. 
All  around  Richmond  were  camps,  where 
men  were  trained  for  war.  The  largest  of 
these  camps  was  called  “Camp  Lee,”  after 
our  hero.  But  in  July,  1861,  Lee  was  sent 
to  Western  Virginia,  and  was,  for  the  first 
time,  commander  of  troops  in  the  field. 

Just  then,  there  were  heavy  rains  and  a 
great  deal  of  sickness  among  the  men  of  his 
small  army,  so  that  he  was  not  able  to  attack 
the  enemy,  as  he  had  planned. 

After  some  time,  it  was  thought  best  to 
give  up  Western  Virginia,  and  General  Lee 
went  back  to  Richmond,  where  he  stayed 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


49 


only  a short  time.  In  November,  1861,  he 
was  sent  south  to  build  a line  of  forts  along 
the  coasts  of  South  Carolina  and  Georgia. 
In  four  months’  time  he  did  much  to  show 
his  skill  as  an  engineer. 

But  a large  Northern  army,  under  General 
McClellan,  was  at  the  gates  of  Richmond,  and 
Lee  was  sent  for  to  take  charge  of  all  the 
armies  of  the  South.  Yerv  soon,  a battle 

*j  ' 

was  fought  at  Seven  Pines,  May  31st;  which 
stopped  General  McClellan’s  “On  to  Rich- 
mond.” In  that  battle  General  Johnston, 
the  commanding  general,  was  badly  wounded, 
and  General  Lee  was  put  in  his  place.  Lee 
was  swift  to  plan  and  as  swift  to  act.  His 
task  was  hard.  The  hosts  of  the  North 
were  at  the  gates  of  Richmond.  The  folks 
on  the  house-tops  could  see  their  camp-fires 
and  hear  the  roar  of  their  cannon.  Lee  at 
once  began  to  make  earth-works,  and  to 
place  his  men  for  battle.  Every  day,  now,  a 
fine-looking  man,  clad  in  a neat  gray  uniform, 
might  be  seen  riding  along  the  line. 


50 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEE  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


He  wished  to  know  what  was  going  on  in 
the  camp  of  the  foe,  and  now  the  right  man 
came  forward.  His  name  was  J.  E.  B. 
Stuart,  best  known  as  Jeb  Stuart.  He  led 
his  brave  troopers  quite  around  the  army  of 
the  North  and  found  out  all  that  Lee  wished 
to  know.  He  was  ever  after  this,  until  his 
death,  the  “eyes  and  ears”  of  Lee. 

“Stonewall”  Jackson  now  came  from  the 
Valley  with  his  brave  men,  and  Lee  at  once 
began  the  “Seven  Hays’  Battle.”  Stuart  was 
“the  eyes  and  ears”  of  Lee,  and  Jackson 
was  his  “right  arm,”  as  you  will  learn  be- 
fore you  get  through  with  this  little  book. 

For  seven  days  the  battle  went  on,  and  at 
last  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  under  General 
McClellan,  was  forced  back  to  the  James 
river,  and  Richmond  was  saved  from  the  foe 
by  the  skill  of  Lee  and  the  valor  of  his  men. 

Lee  now  marched  north  towards  Wash- 
ington City,  and  in  August,  1862,  met  the 
army  of  General  Pope  and  fought  the  Second 
Battle  of  Manassas.  Lee  had  made  a bold 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


51 


plan  to  put  the  army  of  Pope  to  flight.  He 
sent  Stonewall  Jackson  fifty-six  miles  around 
to  the  rear  of  Pope,  while  he  (Lee)  kept  him 
in  check  in  front. 

Jackson’s  men  marched  so  fast  that  they 
were  called  “foot  cavalry.”  They  ate  apples 
and  green  corn  as  they  marched  along,  for 
they  had  no  time  to  stop.  Only  one  man 
among  them  knew  where  they  were  going. 
Little  cared  they,  for  Stonewall  Jackson  led 
the  way. 

On  the  evening  of  the  second  day,  Jackson, 
with  twenty  thousand  men,  was  between 
Pope  and  Washington  city.  Lee  was  in 
front  of  Pope  with  the  rest  of  the  army. 

General  Jackson  fell  upon  Manassas  Junc- 
tion and  took  three  hundred  prisoners  and 
many  car-loads  of  food  and  clothes.  After 
the  men  had  eaten  what  food  they  wanted, 
they  burned  the  rest  and  moved  away. 

Jackson  found  a good  position  from  which 
to  fight,  and  when  Pope’s  men  came  up  was 
ready  for  them.  They  fought  all  day,  and 


52  THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 

when  the  powder  and  shot  gave  out  the 
Southern  men  fought  with  stones. 

All  this  time  Lee,  with  most  of  the  men, 
was  coming  round  to  help  Jackson.  How 
eagerly  Jackson  looked  for  help!  He  had 
only  twenty  thousand  men  against  three 
times  that  many.  At  last  Lee  came  up, 
and  the  battle  was  won  (August  30th). 
Many  brave  men  were  killed  on  both  sides, 
but  Lee  was  the  victor.  In  three  months’ 
time  he  had  driven  the  foe  from  Richmond, 
and  was  now  in  front  of  Washington  with 
his  army. 

He  now  sent  General  Jackson  to  Harper’s 
Perry,  where  he  took  as  prisoners  twelve 
thousand  men  of  the  North,  September 
15th.  Jackson  then  hurried  back  to  Lee, 
who  had  crossed  the  Potomac  and  gone  over 
into  Maryland,  on  September  5,  1862. 

At  Sharpsburg  sometimes  called  Antietam 
(Ante' tarn),  he  again  met  the  fresh  army  of 
McClellan  and  fought  one  of  the  most  bloody 
battles  of  the  war.  Lee  had  only  half  as 


FAST  MEETING  OF  FEE  AND  JACKSON, 


54 


TEE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


many  men  as  McClellan,  but  when,  after  the 
battle,  Lee  thought  it  best  to  return  to  Vir- 
ginia, McClellan  did  not  follow  him.  Lee 
led  his  army  back  to  Virginia  without  the 
loss  of  a gun  or  a wagon,  and  they  rested 
near  Winchester,  Virginia. 

General  Lee,  in  his  tent  near  Winchester, 
heard  of  the  death  of  his  daughter  Annie. 
She  had  been  his  dearest  child,  and  his  grief 
at  her  death  was  great ; but  he  wrote  thus 
to  Mrs.  Lee: 

“But  God  in  this,  as  in  all  things,  has 
mingled  mercy  with  the  blow  by  selecting 
the  one  best  prepared  to  go.  May  you  join 
me  in  saying  ‘His  will  be  done! ’ ” 

It  was  now  McClellan’s  turn  to  attack 
Lee,  but  he  was  slow  to  move — so  slow  that 
Mr.  Lincoln  sent  him  word  “to  cross  the 
Potomac  and  give  battle  to  the  foe,  and 
drive  him  south.”  But  still  he  did  not 
move,  and  Lee,  who  was  also  wanting  to 
move,  sent  Jeb  Stuart  over  into  Maryland  to 
find  out  what  McClellan  was  doing.  That 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE.  55 

gallant  man  again  went  around  the  whole 
Northern  army,  and  came  back  safe  to  Lee, 
having  found  out  what  Lee  wished  to  know. 

The  Northern  army  now  came  back  to 
Virginia  and  Lee  moved  to  Fredericksburg, 
a town  on  the  Rappahannock  river. 

Burnside  was  now  put  at  the  head  of  the 
Northern  army  in  the  place  of  General 
McClellan,  whom  Mr.  Lincoln  accused  of 
being  too  slow. 

Lee  placed  his  men  on  the  heights  above 
the  river,  on  the  south  side,  while  Burnside’s 
hosts  were  on  Stafford  Heights  and  the  plains 
below. 

At  daylight  on  December  13,  1862,  the 
battle  began,  and  was  fought  bravely  by  both 
sides.  But  Burnside’s  men  had  little  chance, 
since  Lee’s  men  from  above  poured  the  shot 
and  shell  so  fast  that  they  could  not  move 
forward. 

The  noise  of  this  battle  was  terrible,  as 
there  were  three  hundred  cannon  roaring  at 


once. 


56 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


Cooke,  a great  writer,  tells  us  that  as 
Burnside’s  guns  were  fired  directly  at  the 
town,  the  houses  were  soon  on  fire  and  a 
dense  cloud  of  smoke  hung  over  its  roofs 
and  steeples.  Soon  the  red  dames  leaped 
up  high  above  the  smoke  and  the  people 
were  driven  from  their  homes.  Hundreds  of 
women  and  children  were  seen  wandering 
along  the  frozen  roads,  not  knowing  where 
to  go. 

General  Lee  stood  upon  a ridge  which  is 
now  called  “Lee’s  Hill,”  and  watched  this 
painful  scene.  For  a long  time  he  stood 
silent,  and  then,  in  his  deep,  grave  voice, 
said  these  words,  which  were  the  most  bitter 
that  he  was  ever  known  to  utter:  “These 
people  delight  to  destroy  the  weak,  and  those 
who  can  make  no  defence;  it  just  suits 
them.” 

When  the  day  was  done,  Lee  was  again 
victor. 

In  less  than  six  months  Lee  had  fought 
four  great  battles — all  victorious  to  his  arms, 


T/F.K  A.T  FREDERICKSBURG 


58 


THE  LIFE  OF  OEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


except  that  of  Sharpsburg,  which  was  neither 
a victory  nor  defeat.  The  Southern  army 
was  now  full  of  hope  and  courage.  At  the 
battle  of  Fredericksburg,  Lee  had  only  sixty 
thousand  men,  while  Burnside’s  army  num- 
bered over  one  hundred  thousand.  In  this 
battle  Lee  lost  five  thousand  men,  while 
twelve  thousand  of  Burnside’s  men  lay  stark 
and  cold  upon  the  bloody  field. 

Lee  grieved  over  the  loss  of  his  brave  men, 
and  for  the  good  people  of  Fredericksburg 
who  had  lost  their  homes  by  fire  during  the 
fight.  He  now  waited  day  after  day  for 
Burnside  to  attack,  but  in  vain.  At  length 
Lee  went  into  winter  quarters  in  a tent  at 
the  edge  of  an  old  pine  field  near  Fredericks- 
burg, and  began  to  get  ready  for  fight  when 
the  spring  came.  It  was  at  this  time  that 
among  a number  of  fowls  given  to  Lee,  was 
a fine  hen  which  began  the  egg  business  be- 
fore her  head  came  off,  and  Bryan,  Lee’s  ser- 
vant, saved  her  for  the  egg  which  he  found 
each  day  in  the  General’s  tent.  Lee  would 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


59 


leave  the  door  of  the  tent  open  for  the  hen 
to  go  in  and  ont.  She  roosted  and  rode  in 
the  wagon,  and  was  an  eye-witness  of  the 


battle  of  Chancellorsville.  She  was  also  at 
the  battle  of  Gettysburg;  but  when  orders 
were  given  to  fall  back,  the  hen  could  not 
be  found.  At  last,  they  saw  her  perched  on 
top  of  the  wagon,  ready  to  go  back  to  her 
native  State. 

In  1864,  when  food  began  to  get  scarce 


60 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


and  Bryan  was  in  sore  need  for  something 
nice  for  guests,  he  killed  the  good  old 
hen  unknown  to  her  master.  At  dinner, 
General  Lee  thought  it  a very  fine  fowl,  not 
dreaming  that  Bryan  had  killed  his  pet. 

It  was  now  time  for  Lee  to  carry  out  the 
will  of  old  Mr.  Custis  and  set  free  his  slaves. 
Many  of  them  had  been  carried  off  by  the 
Northern  men,  but  now  he  wrote  out  the 
deed  and  set  them  free  by  law.  He  wrote 
thus  of  them  to  Mrs.  Lee : 

“They  are  all  entitled  to  their  freedom, 
and  I wish  them  to  have  it.  Those  that 
have  been  carried  away  I hope  are  free  and 
happy.” 

He  had  set  free  his  own  slaves  years  before. 

Lee  had  proved  so  great  a leader  that  the 
people  of  the  South  began  to  look  to  him 
with  great  love  and  hope. 

During  these  battles,  of  which  I have  told 
you,  one-half  of  the  Southern  men  were  in 
rags,  and  many  were  without  shoes.  Yet 
shoeless,  hatless,  ragged  and  starving,  they 


TEE  LIFE  OF  GEE  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


61 


followed  Lee  and  fought  his  battles.  Their 
pet  name  for  him  was  “Marse  Robert.” 
They  knew  that  their  great  chief  cared  for 
them,  and  would  not  send  them  into  danger 
if  he  could  help  it;  and  it  wTas  no  fault  of 
his  if  their  food  was  scant  and  poor.  They 
learned  to  love  and  trust  him.  “Marse 
Robert  says  so,”  was  their  battle-cry. 


President,  the  head  of  a free  people. 
Mer'cy,  kindness. 

Gal'lant,  brave  ; daring  in  fight. 

Vic'tor,  one  who  wins. 

Position,  place. 

Tell  about — 

The  two  governments. 

The  first  blood  shed. 

The  first  gun  fired. 

“ Camp  Lee.” 

Where  General  Lee  was  first  sent. 
The  “On  to  Richmond.” 

Jeb  Stuart.  “Stonewall”  Jackson. 
The  Second  Battle  of  Manassas. 
Sharpsburg.  Fredericksburg. 

The  will  of  Mr.  Custis. 

The  soldiers’  love  for  Lee. 


62 


TEE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


CHAPTER  V. 

A Confederate  General. 

( Continued .) 

When  the  spring  of  1863  came,  the  two 
armies  were  still  in  sight  of  each  other  near 
Fredericks  burg.  A new  man,  General  Hooker, 
sometimes  called  “Fighting  Joe,”  had  been 
put  at  the  head  of  the  army  of  the  North. 
Take  note  that  he  was  the  fourth  general 
that  President  Lincoln  had  sent  forth  within 
a year  to  conquer  Lee. 

Lee  watched  his  new  foe,  and  when  he 
had  found  out  his  plans  was  ready  for  him. 
He  fell  back  to  a place  called  Chancellors- 
ville,  and  there,  in  the  midst  of  a dense 
forest,  the  fight  took  place  (May  2,  3). 

While  the  battle  was  going  on,  Lee  sent 
Jackson  to  the  rear  to  cut  Hooker  off  from 
a ford  in  the  river.  Jackson’s  men  moved 
through  the  forest  so  swiftly  and  with  so 


TEE  LIFE  OF  GEE  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


63 


little  noise  that  they  fell  upon  Hooker’s  men 
with  a loud  yell  before  he  knew  they  were 
near.  They  rushed  out  like  a thunder-bolt 
and  swept  down  upon  the  line  like  a flash 
of  lightning.  The  foe  did  not  wait,  but 
turned  and  fled. 

It  was  now  nearly  dark,  and,  as  Jackson 
rode  forward  to  view  the  way,  he  was  shot 
by  his  own  men,  who,  in  the  dim  light, 
thought  that  he  and  his  aids  were  a squad 
of  Northern  cavalry.  He  was  shot  in  three 
places — in  his  right  hand,  his  left  forearm, 
and  again  in  the  same  limb  near  the  shoulder. 
He  was  placed  in  a litter  and  taken  from  the 
held.  All  care  was  taken  of  this  great  and 
good  man,  but  he  died  the  next  Sunday.  His 
last  words  were : 

“Order  A.  P.  Hill  to  prepare  for  action. 
Pass  the  infantry  to  the  front.  Tell  Major 
Hawkes” — he  stopped  and  then  said,  as  if 
the  fight  was  over,  “Let  us  pass  over  the 
river  and  rest  under  the  trees.” 


64 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


Thus  passed  away  the  great  Stonewall 
Jackson,  the  “right  arm  of  Lee.” 

For  two  days  after  Jackson  was  wounded, 
the  fight  went  on  and  raged  with  great  fury. 
General  Hooker  was  struck  by  a piece  of 
wood  split  off  by  a cannon  ball,  and  for  a 
time  was  thought  dead. 

Lee  made  bold  plans  and  his  brave  men 
carried  them  out.  Stuart,  who  had  taken 
Stonewall  Jackson’s  command,  led  his  men 
to  battle,  singing  “Old  Joe  Hooker,  won’t 
you  come  out  of  the  wilderness.” 

At  last  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville  was 
won  and  Hooker  was  forced  back  to  his  old 
camp  at  Fredericksburg. 

Chancellorsville  was  Lee’s  greatest  battle, 
but  its  glory  was  clouded  by  Jackson’s  death. 
General  Lee  wrote  to  his  wife,  May  11,  1863: 

“You  will  see  we  have  to  mourn  the  loss 
of  the  good  and  great  Jackson.  * . * I 
know  not  how  to  replace  him,  but  God’s 
will  be  done.” 

In  this  battle  Lee  had  only  fifty-three 


GKEX.  STONEWALL  JACKSON 


66 


TEE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


thousand  men,  one-third  as  many  men  as 
Hooker. 

In  June,  1863,  Lee  again  crossed  the  Po- 
tomac and  met  an  army  under  General 
Meade  at  Gettysburg,  in  Pennsylvania. 

Lee  had  two  reasons  for  this  move.  One 
was  to  get  food  for  his  men  and  horses ; and 
the  other  to  draw  the  Northern  army  away 
from  its  strong  forts  around  Washington 
city.  He  gave  strict  orders  to  his  men  not 
to  steal  and  rob.  This  is  a part  of  his  order : 

I 

“The  commanding  general  thinks  that  no 
greater  disgrace  could  befall  the  army,  and 
through  it  our  whole  people,  than  to  com- 
mit outrages  on  the  innocent  and  defence- 
less. • * * * It  must  be  remembered 

that  we  make  war  only  upon  armed  men” 

This  order,  with  its  noble  Christ-like  spirit, 
will  remain  the  “undying  glory  of  Lee”  ; for 
all  his  property  had  been  taken  by  the 
Federals.  His  wife  and  daughters  were 
homeless,  yet  he  did  not  fail  to  return  good 
for  evil. 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


67 


When  Lee  started  into  Maryland,  he  sent 
Jeb  Stuart  on  ahead  to  guard  the  right  flank 
of  his  army.  By  some  mishap,  he  crossed 
the  Potomac  too  far  to  the  east,  and  soon 
found  that  the  whole  Federal  army  was  be- 
tween him  and  General  Lee.  By  hard  fight- 
ing and  riding  he  at  last  joined  Lee  at  Get- 
tysburg, but  not  until  after  the  fight  had 
begun.  Lee  was  thus  without  his  “eyes  and 
ears,”  as  we  have  called  General  Stuart,  and 
could  not  tell  just  where  the  foe  was.  Neither 

4 

Lee  nor  Meade  had  planned  to  fight  at  Get- 
tysburg, but  they  fell  upon  each  other  pretty 
much  like  two  men  groping  in  the  dark. 

For  the  first  two  days  (July  1,  2)  Lee’s 
men  drove  back  the  enemy.  On  the  third 
day,  at  1 o’clock  P.  M.,  Lee  began  to  fight 
with  one  hundred  and  fifty  big  guns.  For 
two  hours  the  air  was  alive  with  shells. 
Then,  out  of  the  woods  swept  the  Confederate 
battle  line,  over  a mile  long,  under  General 
Pickett.  A thrill  of  wonder  ran  along  the 
Federal  lines  as  that  grand  column  of  fifteen 


68 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  BOBER T E.  LEE. 


thousand  men  marched,  with  ragged  clothes, 
but  bright  guns  and  red  battle-hags  hying, 
up  the  slope  of  Cemetery  Ridge.  Down  upon 
them  came  shot  and  shell  from  guns  on  the 
heights  above  and  round  them. 

The  line  was  broken,  but  on  they  went. 
They  planted  their  Confederate  hags  on  the 
breast-work ; they  fought  hand  to  hand  and 
killed  men  at  the  cannon  with  the  bayonet; 
but  down  from  the  hill  rushed  tens  of  thou- 
sands of  Federals,  and  many  who  were  not 
killed  were  taken  prisoners.  Few  got  back 
to  tell  the  story.  That  night  the  stars 
looked  down  upon  a held  of  dead  and  dying 
men  and  also  upon  a sad  general.  Lee’s 
orders  had  not  been  obeyed,  and,  for  the  hrst 
time,  he  had  been  foiled. 

Lee  afterwards  said  to  a friend,  “Had  I 
had  Stonewall  Jackson  at  Gettysburg,  I would 
have  won  a great  victory.  ” 

He  had  made  a bold  plan  to  attack  early 
in  the  day ; but  it  was  not  done,  and  thus 
Meade  got  time  to  bring  up  his  troops. 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEE.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


69 


Meade  did  not  attack  Lee,  who  rested  that 
night  upon  the  same  ground  as  the  night 
before. 

Lee  now  had  but  little  powder  and  shot. 
On  the  next  day,  the  4th  of  July,  he  started 
his  long  trains  of  wounded  and  prisoners 
towards  Virginia;  and,  at  the  same  time, 
buried  his  dead.  That  night,  in  a storm, 
the  army  began  its  homeward  march,  and 
reached  the  Potomac  river  to  find  it  too  high 
to  cross.  Calm  and  brave,  Lee  sent  his 
wounded  over  in  boats  and  got  ready  for 
Meade.  But  Meade  was  in  no  mood  to 
attack  Lee  and  came  up  slowly. 

While  waiting  for  the  river  to  fall,  Lee 
heard  of  the  capture  of  his  son  Gen.  W.  H.  F. 
Lee. 

On  the  13th,  Lee’s  men  began  to  cross 
the  river,  and  by  the  next  night  they  were 
again  safe  in  Virginia. 

The  men  lost  at  Gettysburg  were  never 
replaced,  for  the  South  had  sent  forth  all  her 
fighting  men  and  had  no  more  to  give. 


70 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


The  rest  of  the  year  passed  without  any 
great  battle.  Lee’s  chief  concern  was  to 
get  food  and  clothes  for  his  men  and  to  watch 
Meade,  who  would  not  give  battle. 

About  this  time  the  city  of  Richmond  pre- 
sented to  Lee  a house.  This  he  kindly  but 
firmly  refused  to  take,  and  begged  that  what 
means  the  city  had  to  spare  might  be  given 
to  the  families  of  his  poor  soldiers. 

Late  in  November,  General  Meade  moved 
towards  Lee,  who  had  built  strong  forts  at  Mine 
Run.  But  Meade  found  the  forts  too  strong 
for  attack  and  withdrew  during  the  night. 

The  next  year  a new  man  was  sent  against 
Lee — Ulysses  S.  Grant.  Lee  had  now  only 
sixty-two  thousand  men  to  meet  Grant,  who 
had  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand  men, 
and  a wagon  train  that  reached  sixty-five 
miles. 

With  this  large  army,  Grant  crossed  the 
Rapidan  river,  and  marched  on  to  give  Lee 
battle.  Lee  did  not  wait  for  Grant,  but 
went  forward  and  met  his  hosts  in  a place 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


71 


called  the  Wilderness,  which  was  a vast 
forest  full  of  underbrush,  and  with  only  nar- 
row roads  here  and  there.  It  was  a bad 
place  in  which  to  fight  a battle,  for  no  man 
could  see  but  a few  yards  around  him.  Can- 
non and  horsemen  were  of  no  use,  because 
they  could  not  move  through  the  tangled 
bushes. 

Grant  did  not  know  that  Lee’s  men  were 
so  near.  But  when  they  rushed  into  these 
wilds  and  boldly  began  the  tight  he  had  to 
give  battle.  For  two  days,  May  5th  and 
6th,  1861,  two  hundred  thousand  men  in 
blue  and  gray  fought  breast  to  breast  in  the 
thickets.  Men  fell  and  died  unseen,  their 
bodies  lost  in  the  bushes  and  their  death- 
groans  drowned  in  the  roar  of  battle. 

In  the  midst  of  these  horrors,  the  woods 
caught  on  fire  and  many  of  the  wounded 
were  burnt  alive.  Lee,  however,  pressed  for- 
ward, and  when  night  closed  had  taken  a 
portion  of  the  Federal  breast-works. 

During  the  fight  of  the  6th,  General  Lee 


72 


TUB  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


placed  himself  at  the  head  of  some  men  from 
Texas  to  lead  the  charge.  “Hurrah  for 
Texas!”  he  cried,  and  ordered  the  charge. 
But  the  soldiers,  anxious  for  their  dear  gen- 
eral, shouted,  “Lee  to  rear!”  A gray-liaired 
soldier  seized  his  bridle,  saying,  “General 
Lee,  if  you  do  not  go  back,  we  will  not  go 
forward!”  So  General  Lee  reined  back  his 
horse  and  the  brave  Texans  swept  on  to  vic- 
tory and  death. 

On  the  morning  of  the  7th,  Grant  made 
no  motion  to  attack  Lee,  but  that  night 
marched  towards  Spotsylvania  Court-House. 
Lee  at  once  found  out  his  plans  and  began 
a race  to  reach  there  first.  When  the  front 
of  Grant’s  army  reached  the  Court-House  the 
next  morning,  they  found  Lee’s  men  behind 
breast-works  and  ready  for  the  fight.  Lee 
had  gotten  between  Grant  and  Richmond! 
That  evening  the  two  great  armies  were 
again  facing  each  other  on  the  banks  of  the 
Po  river.  Here  they  threw  up  breast-works, 
which  may  yet  be  seen. 


THE  LIFE  OF  QEK  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


73 


For  twelve  days,  Grant  made  many  at- 
tacks upon  Lee’s  lines.  Early  on  the  morn- 
ing of  the  12th  his  men  made  an  opening  in 


ran  up  quickly  and  soon  a most  terrible  light 
took  place.  The  trenches  ran  with  blood 
and  the  space  was  piled  with  dead  bodies, 
whose  lips  were  black  with  powder  from  bit- 
ing cartridges. 


74 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


Though  Grant  held  that  position,  he  could 
not  break  through  the  second  line.  The 
little  army  in  gray  stood  as  firm  as  the 
mountains. 

In  the  fight  of  which  I have  just  told  you, 
General  Lee  again  rode  in  front,  with  hat 
off,  to  lead  the  charge;  but  General  Gordon 
dashed  up  and  said : 

“These  are  Virginians  and  Georgians  who 
have  never  failed.  Go  to  the  rear,  General 
Lee.” 

Then  he  said  to  the  men: 

“Must  General  Lee  lead  this  charge?” 

“No!  No!”  they  cried;  “we  will  drive 
them  back  if  General  Lee  will  go  to  the 
rear.” 

They  rushed  off  and  once  more  hurled  back 
the  Federal  troops. 

Grant  now  sent  his  cavalry  general,  Sher- 
idan, on  a raid  near  Richmond.  A fierce 
battle  was  fought  at  Yellow  Tavern,  in  which 
the  famous  Jeb  Stuart  was  wounded  so  that 


THE  LTFE  OF  GEJST.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


75 


he  died  the  next  day.  Alas  for  Lee!  Jackson 
and  Stuart  were  both  gone. 

Grant  again  moved  to  the  rear,  and  Lee 
next  moved  to  the  North  Anna  river.  While 
Grant  was  again  trying  to  dank,  Lee  got  to 
the  old  works  at  Cold  Harbor.  Grant  made 
an  attack  at  daylight.  His  troops,  sinking 
into  a swamp,  were  killed  by  thousands, 
while  Lee  lost  but  few  men. 

A second  assault  was  ordered,  but  the  men 
would  not  move  forward.  About  thirteen 
thousand  of  their  comrades  had  been  killed 
in  less  than  half  an  hour,  and  they  could  no 
longer  stand  the  awful  bre. 

We  are  told  by  General  Fitzhugh  Lee  that 
Lee’s  men  were  hungry  and  mad.  One 
cracker  to  a man,  with  no  meat,  was  a 
luxury.  One  poor  fellow,  who  had  his 
cracker  shot  out  of  his  hand  before  he  could 
eat  it,  said:  “The  next  time  I’ll  put  my 
cracker  in  a safe  place  down  by  the  breast- 
works where  it  won’t  get  wounded,  poor 
thing!  ” 


76 


TEE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


Lee  again  stood  in  Grant’s  way  to  Pick- 
mond.  In  the  battles  from  the  Wilderness 
to  Cold  Harbor,  Grant  had  lost  sixty  thou- 
sand men,  while  Lee’s  loss  was  eighteen 
thousand. 

Just  before  the  battle  of  Cold  Harbor, 
Grant  had  looked  for  Sigel  to  move  up  the 
Valley  and  fall  upon  Lee’s  rear.  But  Sigel 
was  met  at  New  Market  on  May  15th  by 
Breckenridge  with  five  thousand  troops, 
among  which  was  a band  of  cadets  from  the 
Virginia  Military  Institute  at  Lexington. 
These  boys  fought  like  heroes,  fifty  of  them 
being  killed  and  wounded.  Sigel  was  sent 
running  back  down  the  Valley,  and  Brecken- 
ridge then  marched  to  the  help  of  Lee. 

Grant  then,  on  the  night  of  June  12th, 
began  to  move  his  army  south  of  the  James 
river  to  march  towards  Petersburg,  a city 
about  twenty-one  miles  south  of  Richmond. 

The  famous  General  Beauregard  (Bo' re- 
gard) was  at  Petersburg  with  only  about 
two  thousand  men,  as  he  had  sent  the  most 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


77 


of  his  troops  to  the  north  side  of  the  James 
river  to  the  "help  of  Lee. 

Against  these,  on  the  loth,  General  Grant 
sent  eighteen  thousand  men. 

Beauregard  held  these  men  in  check  until 
Lee  sent  troops  to  aid  him.  Lee  then  came 
up  with  the  main  army,  and  Grant,  having 
lost  ten  thousand  men,  now  began  to  make 
trenches  and  build  forts  to  protect  his  men, 
as  he  was  going  to  lay  siege  to  Petersburg, 
the  key  to  Richmond. 

Lee  had  to  defend  both  Richmond  and 
Petersburg  with  lines  thirty-five  miles  long, 
against  Grant’s  army,  which  was  twice  as 
large  as  his  own.  In  fact,  Grant  had  all 
the  men  that  he  asked  for;  while  Lee’s 
ranks  were  thin  and  food  was  scarce.  A fourth 
of  a pound  of  meat  and  one  pound  of  flour 
was  all  that  each  soldier  had  for  one  day. 

In  this  stress,  it  is  said  that  Lee  thought 
it  best  to  give  up  Richmond  and  march  south 
to  join  the  army  there.  I do  not  know  the 
truth  of  that  statement.  At  any  rate,  he 


78 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


did  not  go,  but  went  to  work  to  make  his 
lines  stronger  and  to  get  in  food  for  his  men. 
One  of  his  great  cares  was  to  keep  Grant 
from  getting  hold  of  the  railroads  which 
brought  food  from  the  South  and  other  parts 
of  the  country. 

Just  here,  it  will  be  well  to  give  you  some 
of  the  war  prices  at  that  time.  Flour  brought, 
in  Confederate  money,  two  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars  per  barrel;  meal,  fifty  dollars;  corn, 
forty ; and  oats,  twenty-five  dollars  per  bushel. 
Brown  sugar  cost  ten  dollars  per  pound; 
coffee,  twelve  dollars ; tea,  thirty-five  dollars ; 
and  they  were  scarce  and  hard  to  get. 
Woolen  goods  were  scarce;  calico  cost  thirty 
dollars  per  yard,  and  lead  pencils  one  dollar 
a-piece.  Women  wore  dresses  that  were 
made  of  cloth  spun,  woven  and  dyed  by 
their  own  hands.  Large  thorns  were  used 
for  pins  and  hair-pins,  and  shoes  were  made 
with  wooden  soles.  Hats-  were  made  by  girls 
out  of  wheat  straw,  plaited  into  a braid  and 
then  sewed  into  shape. 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


79 


Those  were  indeed  hard  times ; but  in  spite 
of  want  and  care,  the  spirits  and  courage  of 
the  Southern  people  did  not  flag.  All  food 
that  could  be  spared  was  sent  to  Richmond, 
and  every  one  hoped  for  the  best. 

Time  after  time  Grant’s  men  made  attacks 
upon  Lee’s  works,  but  were  always  sent  back 
faster  than  they  came,  by  his  watchful  men. 

The  shells  from  Grant’s  big  guns  fell  into 
the  city  of  Petersburg  day  after  day,  burst- 
ing into  the  churches  and  houses,  and  making 
the  people  flee  for  their  lives. 

One  day,  as  General  Lee  was  sitting  on  a 
chair  under  a tree  at  his  headquarters,  the 
“Clay  House,”  the  balls  fell  so  thick  about 
him  that  his  aids  begged  him  to  seek  a safer 
place.  He  at  last  mounted  his  horse  and 
rode  away.  A moment  after,  a gay  young 
soldier  sat  down  in  the  chair  and  tilted  it 
back,  saying,  “ I’ll  see  if  I can  fill  Lee’s  place 
for  awhile.”  Just  then  a ball  struck  the 
front  round  of  the  chair  and  cut  it  in  twain. 
If  Lee  had  been  there,  with  the  chair  upon 


80 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


the  ground,  he  would  have  been  badly  hurt 
All  thanked  God  that  he  was  safe. 

On  June  22d,  the  Confederates  under 
General  Mahone  made  a sally  from  their 
lines  and  gave  the  Federals  a great  surprise. 
As  the  Southern  shot  and  shell  burst  upon 
them,  they  lied  back  into  their  lines  and  the 
Confederates  brought  off  two  thousand  prison- 
ers, four  cannon  and  eight  flags. 

On  the  same  day,  there  was  a fight  at 
Reams’  Station,  in  which  the  Federals  were 
put  to  flight  and  lost  twelve  guns  and  one 
thousand  men. 

All  this  time,  Grant  was  making  earth- 
works and  forts,  and  at  last  carried  out  a 
very  cruel  plan.  From  a spot  out  of  sight, 
he  had  a mine  dug  until  it  reached  under 
one  of  the  Confederate  forts.  In  that  hole 
he  had  caused  to  be  placed  a blast  of  eight 
thousand  pounds  of  powder.  His  plan  was 
to  blow  a hole  in  Lee’s  lines  and  then  rush 
in  with  a large  band  of  men  and  take  the 
city. 


TILE  SOUTJJKKN  STA.TKS 


TEE  LIFE  OF  GEE.  ROBERT  E.  LEE.  81 

General  Lee  found  out  that  they  were  dig- 
ging the  mine  and  where  it  was,  and  had  a 
strong  line  made  in  the  rear,  while  big  guns 
were  placed  so  as  to  fire  across  the  breach 
when  the  mine  was  sprung. 

At  that  time  there  were  only  thirteen 
thousand  men  in  the  trenches  at  Petersburg, 
as  General  Lee  had  been  forced  to  send  some 
of  his  troops  to  the  north  of  the  James  to 
check  a move  which  Grant  had  made  on 
purpose  to  draw  off  Lee’s  men  from  the  mine. 

Just  at  dawn,  July  30th,  the  blast  was 
fired.  A great  roar  was  heard,  and  then 
two  hundred  and  fifty-six  men  from  South 
Carolina  and  twenty-two  from  Petersburg, 
with  guns,  large  masses  of  earth,  stones  and 
logs,  were  thrown  high  into  the  air.  A 
breach  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  feet  long, 
ninety  feet  wide,  and  thirty  feet  deep,  had 
been  made  in  the  Confederate  lines.  Those 
near  the  spot  were  at  first  stunned,  and 
those  far  away  could  not  think  what  the 
noise  meant. 


82 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


Grant’s  guns  tired  at  once  all  along  the 
line,  and  a band  of  men  marched  out  to  rush 
in  through  the  breach.  When  they  had 
rushed  across  the  space  to  the  gap,  they 
found  a deep  pit  at  their  feet. 


EXPLOSION  OF  THE  CRATER. 


The  Confederates  had  now  gained  their 
wits,  and  at  once  opened  fire.  The  storm  of 
shot  and  shell  forced  the  Federals  down  into 
the  pit  for  shelter ; but  when  there,  they  could 
not  get  out.  Band  after  band  of  Federals  were 
sent  forward  to  charge  the  works,  but  they 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEE.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


S3 


either  fell  into  the  Crater  or  ran  back  to  their 
own  lines. 

Two  hours  had  now  passed,  when  black 
troops  were  sent  to  seiz-e  the  guns  which 
were  doing  such  deadly  work.  They  marched 
bravely  up,  but  the  Confederate  lire  was  too 
hot  for  them  and  they  ran  for  their  lives — 
some  into  the  Crater,  and  some  back  to  their 
own  lines.  Wliite  troops  were  again  sent 
forward,  but  they,  too,  were  driven  back. 
All  this  time  the  Crater  was  full  of  wounded, 
struggling  and  dying  men,  upon  whom  the 
hot  sun  beat  and  shot  poured  down. 

Soon  General  Lee  rode  up,  and  by  his 
orders,  General  Mahone,  with  Weisiger’s  and 
Wright’s  brigades,  came  up  and  charged  with 
a yell  upon  the  Federals  who  had  for  the 
first  time  reached  the  breast-works.  There 
was  a fierce  hand-to-hand  fight,  but  the 
Federals  were  quickly  forced  back. 

All  honor  is  due  to  the  few  men  who  had 
so  bravely  held  the  breach  until  help  came. 

Just  at  this  time  a white  flag  was  seen  to 


84 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


float  above  the  side  of  the  Crater,  which  told 
that  some  were  alive  down  there  and  ready 
to  give  up. 

In  this  strange  fight  Grant  lost  about  four 
thousand  men  and  Lee  about  four  hundred. 

The  pluck  and  skill  of  Lee  and  a few  men 
had  foiled  a well-laid  plan  and  showed  what 
these  brave  heroes  could  do  after  years  of  toil 
and  battle. 

Lee  now  thought  that  if  he  would  again 
send  troops  to  threaten  Washington,  he 
might  cause  Grant  to  move  some  of  his 
large  army  there,  and  thus  give  him  (Lee)  a 
chance  to  hurl  back  the  hosts  of  Grant  from 
Richmond.  So  he  sent  General  Early  down 
the  V alley  into  Maryland  with  only  ten  thou- 
sand men. 

They  went  as  fast  as  they  could,  and  on 
July  9th  met,  at  Monocacy  Bridge,  General 
Lew  Wallace  with  seven  thousand  men. 
Having  whipped  him  and  taken  from  him 
two  thousand  men,  Early  marched  on  to 
Washington. 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


85 


On  the  10th,  his  troops  marched  thirty 
miles,  and  on  the  11th  were  in  front  of 
Washington.  But  his  force  was  too  small 
and  too  much  worn  out  to  try  to  attack  the 
city.  He  coolly  camped  in  front  of  it  all 
day,  and  at  night  after  a fight  with  some 
Federal  troops  sent  to  catch  him,  went  back 
into  Virginia.  • 

This  raid  of  Early’s  did  not  move  Grant. 
He  left  Mr.  Lincoln  to  take  care  of  Washing- 
ton and  kept  the  most  of  his  men  massed  in 
front  of  Lee’s  lines. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  the  Federal 
General  Sheridan  passed  up  the  Valley  and 
burned  two  thousand  barns  filled  with  wheat 
and  hay,  and  seventy  mills  filled  with  flour. 
He  also  drove  off  and  killed  four  thousand 
head  of  stock.  The  boast  was  that  “if  a 
crow  wants  to  fly  down  the  Valley  he  must 
carry  his  food  along.” 

This  was  a part  of  the  plan  to  crush  and 
starve  Lee,  for  a great  part  of  his  flour  and 
meat  was  sent  from  the  Valley. 


86 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


After  many  trials,  on  August  18th  Grant 
at  last  got  hold  of  the  Weldon  railroad,  which 
brought  supplies  from  the  south.  This  was 
a great  blow  to  Lee. 

In  the  fall  of  this  year,  when  meat  was 
scarce,  General  Wade  Hampton  sent  a note 
to  General  Lee,  telling  him  that  there  was  a 
large  drove  of  beeves  in  the  rear  of  Grant’s 
army  and  asked  leave  to  take  a force  of 
horsemen  and  drive  out  the  cattle.  General 
Lee  at  last  told  him  to  go,  but  urged  him  to 
take  great  care  not  to  be  caught. 

The  men  were  well  on  their  way  when  day 
broke,  and  rode  on  until  dark,  when  they 
came  to  a halt  in  a road  overhung  by  the 
branches  of  trees.  Here  they  slept,  men 
and  horses,  till  just  at  dawn  they  sprang  to 
their  saddles,  and  with  the  well-known  yell 
dashed  into  the  camp  of  the  foe.  The  Fed- 
erals  made  a good  fight  for  their  meat ; but  , 
at  last  fell  back,  and  the  Confederates  cap- 
tured and  drove  out  more  than  two  thousand 
beeves.  These  they  brought  safe  into  camp 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


87 


after  having  two  tights  and  riding  one  hun- 
dred miles. 

This  fresh  meat  was  a great  treat  to  Lee’s 
men  and  the  cause  of  much  fun. 


Lee’s  lines  were  so  close  to  Grant’s  at  one 
point  that  the  men  would  often  call  over  to 


Federals  was  Billy  Yanks.  On  the  day  after 
the  beef  raid,  one  of  Grant’s  men  called  out: 


“I  say,  Johnny  Reb,  come  over.  Pve  got 
a new  blue  suit  for  you.” 

“Blue  suit?”  growled  out  Johnny. 

“Yes,”  said  the  other,  “take  off  those 


88 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEE  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 

greasy  butternut  clothes.  I would,  if  I were 
you.” 

“Never  you  mind  the  grease , Billy  Yank,” 
drawled  out  the  Confederate,  “I  got  that 
out1 71  them  beeves  1o  yourn.11 

Pop ! went  the  Federal’s  gun,  and  the  Con- 
federate was  not  slow  to  pop  back  at  him. 

General  Lee’s  life  was  now  full  of  care; 
as  soon  as  one  attack  on  his  lines  was  over, 
another  was  begun.  He  lived  in  a tent  and 
would  go  down  to  the  trenches  himself  to  see 
how  his  meji  were  getting  on. 

An  old  soldier  relates  that  one  day  he 
came  into  the  trenches  when  the  firing  was 
quite  rapid.  The  men  did  not  dare  to  cheer, 
lest  they  might  bring  a hotter  fire  from  the 
foe,  but  they  crowded  around  him  and  begged 
him  to  go  back.  But  he  calmly  asked  after 
their  health  and  spoke  words  of  cheer.  Then 
he  walked  to  a big  gun  and  asked  the  lieu- 
tenant to  fire,  so  that  he  might  see  its  range 
and  work.  The  officer  said,  with  tears  in  his 
eyes,  “General,  don’t  order  me  to  fire  this 


TEE  LIFE  OF  GEE  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


89 


gun  while  yon  are  here.  They  will  open  fire 
over  there  with  all  those  big  guns  and  you 
will  surely  get  hurt.  Go  back  out  of  range 
and  I’ll  fire  all  day.”  General  Lee  was 
greatly  touched  by  this,  and  went  back, 
while  the  men  quickly  fired  off  the  huge  gun. 

Lee  needed  not  only  men,  but  food  for 
those  he  had.  Many  men  died  from  cold 
and  want. 

The  winter  of  1864  and  ’65  was  a sad  one 
for  Lee  and  the  South.  There  were  no  more 
men  in  the  South  to  take  the  place  of  those 
who  had  been  killed. 

The  corn  and  wheat  of  the  South  had  been 
burnt  and  the  cattle  killed  by  the  Northern 
armies.  The  people  sat  down  to  empty 
tables  and  had  no  more  food  to  send  their 
men. 

Mrs.  Lee,  in  her  sick  chair  in  Richmond, 
“with  large  heart  and  small  means”  knit 
socks,  which  she  would  send  at  once  to  the 
bare-footed  men. 


90 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


On  January  10,  1865,  General  Lee  writes 
to  Mrs.  Lee: 

“Yesterday  three  little  girls  walked  into 
my  room,  each  with  a small  basket.  The 
eldest  had  some  fresh  eggs,  the  second  some 
pickles,  and  the  third  some  pop-corn,  which 
had  grown  in  her  garden.  * * They  had 

with  them  a young  maid  with  a block  of  soap 
made  by  her  mother.  They  were  the  daugh- 
ters of  a Mrs.  Nottingham,  a refugee  from 
Northampton  county.  * I had  not 

had  so  nice  a visit  for  a long  time.  I was 
able  to  fill  their  baskets  with  apples,  and 
begged  them  to  bring  me  hereafter  nothing 
but  kisses,  and  to  keep  the  eggs,  corn,  etc., 
for  themselves.” 

Lee’s  men  were  ragged  and  starving,  but 
they  fought  on  till  April  1st,  1865,  when, 
at  Five  Forks,  the  left  wing  of  Grant’s  large 
army  swept  around  the  right  and  rear  of 
Lee,  and  made  him  give  up  Richmond  and 
Petersburg. 

When  the  Southern  troops  were  leaving 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


91 


Richmond,  by  law  of  Congress  the  tobacco 
houses  were  set  on  fire  to  keep  them  from 
falling  into  the  hands  of  the  foe.  The  fire 
spread,  and  Mrs.  Lee’s  house  was  in  danger 
of  being  burnt.  Friends  came  in  and 
wished  to  move  her  to  a place  of  safety,  but 
she  was  loath  to  go.  The  fire  had  no  terror  for 
her  as  she  thought  of  her  husband  with  his 
band  of  ragged,  starving  men  marching  with 
their  “faces  turned  from  Richmond.”  White 
clouds  of  dense  smoke,  with  the  light  of  fire 
in  their  folds,  hung  above  the  city  as  the 
Federal  army,  with  waving  flags  and  clash- 
ing music,  marched  in  and  stacked  arms  in 
the  Capitol  Square. 

In  the  meantime,  Lee  marched  on  towards 
Amelia  Court-House,  where  he  had  ordered 
meat  and  bread  to  be  sent  for  his  men.  But 
when  he  got  there  he  found  that  it  had  been 
sent  elsewhere,  and  now  real  want  set  in. 
His  men  had  nothing  to  eat  but  corn,  which 
they  would  parch  at  night  and  eat  as  they 
marched  along.  General  Lee’s  plan  had 


92 


TEE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


been  to  march  south  and  join  General  John- 
ston, but  some  time  had  been  lost  in  looking 
for  food,  and  General  Grant’s  hosts  were  near 
at  hand. 

So  Lee  fell  back  towards  Lynchburg,  but 
on  April  9th,  1865,  being  entirely  surrounded 
by  Grant’s  vast  army,  he  and  his  few  ragged 
men  surrendered  to  General  Grant  at  Appo- 
mattox Court-House.  Lee  had  only  eight 
thousand  men,  while  Grant’s  army  numbered 
about  two  hundred  thousand. 

In  all  these  battles,  of  which  I have  told 
you,  General  Lee  had  never  been  really  de- 
feated; but  he  gave  up  at  last  because  he 
had  no  more  men  and  no  more  food.  The 
Northern  generals  had  all  the  men  and  food 
they  asked  for,  as  they  had  the  world  to 
draw  from ; but  the  South,  being  blockaded, 
or  shut  in  by  Northern  ships  of  war,  could 
not  get  what  she  needed  from  other  lands. 

Lee  did  all  that  courage  and  genius  could 
do  against  such  odds,  and  was,  without  doubt, 
the  greatest  commander  of  his  time. 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEE  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


93 


Colonel  Tenable,  an  officer  on  General 
Lee’s  staff,  tells  this  story  of  the  surrender: 
“When  I told  General  Lee  that  the  troops 
in  front  were  not  able  to  fight  their  way  out, 
he  said  ‘Then,  there  is  nothing  left  me  but 
to  go  and  see  General  Grant,  and  I would 
rather  die  a thousand  deaths.'1  ” 

Another  officer  says  that  when  Lee  was 
thinking  of  the  surrender  he  exclaimed, 
“How  easily  I could  get  rid  of  all  this  and 
be  at  rest!  I have  only  to  ride  along  the 
lines  and  all  will  be  over.  But,”  he  added 
quickly,  11  it  is  our  duty  to  live, . for  what  will 
become  of  the  women  and  children  of  the 
South  if  we  are  not  here  to  support  and  pro- 
tect them?” 

So,  with  a heart  bursting  with  grief,  he 
once  more  did  his  duty.  He  went  at  once 
to  General  Grant  and  surrendered  himself 
and  his  few  remaining  men. 

By  the  terms  of  the  surrender,  Lee’s  men 
gave  up  their  fire-arms,  but  all  who  had 


94 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


horses  took  them  home,  ‘ ‘ to  work  their  little 
farms.” 

General  Grant,  it  must  be  said,  was  most 
kind  to  General  Lee  and  his  men.  He  did 
not  ask  for  General  Lee’s  sword,  nor  did  Lee 
offer  it  to  him;  neither  did  he  require  Lee’s 
men  to  march  up  to  stack  their  guns  between 
ranks  of  Federals  with  flags  flying  and  bands 
playing.  Lee’s  men  simply  went  to  places 
which  were  pointed  out  and  stacked  their 
guns.  Their  officers  then  signed  a parole 
not  to  fight  again  against  the  United  States. 
They  were  then  free  to  go  back  to  their 
homes,  which,  in  some  cases,  were  burnt — 
blight  and  want  being  on  every  side. 

After  all,  Grant  did  not  go  to  Lee’s  camp 
or  to  Richmond  to  exult  over  the  men  who 
had  so  often  met  him  in  battle;  but  he 
mounted  his  horse,  and,  with  his  staff,  rode 
to  Washington.  Before  going,  he  sent  to 
Lee  twenty-five  thousand  rations ; for,  as  1 
have  told  you,  Lee’s  men  had  nothing  to  eat ' 
but  parched  corn. 


TEE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


95 


After  the  surrender,  Lee  rode  out  among 
his  men,  who  pressed  up  to  him,  eager  to 
“touch  his  person,  or  even  his  horse,”  and 
tears  fell  down  the  powder-stained  cheeks  of 
the  strong  men.  Slowly  he  said : 

“Men,  we  have  fought  the  war  together; 


LEE  LEAVING  APPOMATTOX  C.  H. 


I have  done  my  best  for  you;  my  heart  is 
too  full  to  say  more.” 

“And  then  in  silence,  with  lifted  hat,  he 
rode  through  the  weeping  army  towards  his 
home  in  Richmond.” 

As  General  Lee  rode  on  towards  Rich- 


96 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


mond  he  was  calm,  and  his  thoughts  dwelt 
much  more  on  the  state  of  the  poor  people 
at  whose  houses  he  stopped  than  upon  his 
own  bad  fortune.  When  he  found  that  all 
along  the  road  the  people  were  glad  to  see 
him  and  gave  him  gladly  of  what  they  had  to 
eat,  he  said,  “These  good  people  are  kind — 
too  kind.  They  do  too  much — more  than 
they  are  able  to  do — for  us.” 

At  a house  which  he  reached  just  at  night, 
a poor  woman  gave  him  a nice  bed;  but, 
with  a kind  shake  of  the  head,  he  spread 
his  blanket  and  slept  upon  the  floor. 

The  next  day  he  stopped  at  the  house  of 
his  brother,  Charles  Carter  Lee;  but,  when 
night  came,  left  the  house  and  slept  in  his 
old  black  wagon.  He  could  not  give  up  at 
once  the  habits  of  a soldier. 

When,  at  last,  the  city  of  Richmond  was 
in  sight,  he  rode  ahead  with  a few  of  his 
officers.  A sad  sight  met  his  view.  In  the 
great  fire  of  the  3d  of  April,  a large  part  of 
the  city  had  been  burned,  and,  as  he  rode 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEE.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


97 


up  Main  street,  he  saw  only  masses  of  black 
ruins. 

As  he  rode  slowly,  some  of  tne  people  saw 
him,  and  at  once  the  news  flashed  through 
the  streets  that  General  Lee  had  come. 

The  people  ran  to  greet  him,  and  showed 
by  cheers  and  the  waving  of  hats  and  hand- 
kerchiefs how  much  they  loved  him. 

General  Lee  now  went  home  and  there 
again  took  up  his  duty.  He  had  fought  for 
the  South,  which  had  failed  to  gain  the  vic- 
tory. He  thought  that  it  was  now  the  duty 
of  every  good  man  to  avoid  hate  and  malice 
and  do  all  that  he  could  to  build  up  the 
waste  places  of  his  dear  land.  He  had  been 
a soldier  for  forty  years,  and,  for  the  first 
time  since  manhood,  was  in  private  life. 

He  now  enjoyed  the  company  of  his  wife 
and  children,  and  as  long  as  he  kept  his 
parole  and  the  laws  in  force  where  he  lived, 
was  thought  to  be  safe.  There  were,  how- 
ever, steps  taken  to  try  him  for  treason;  but 
General  Grant  went  to  the  President  and 


98 


TEE  LIFE  OE  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


told  him  that  his  honor  was  pledged  for  the 
safety  of  General  Lee,  and  that  he  wished 
him  to  be  let  alone.  So,  General  Grant’s 
request  was  granted  and  no  trial  took  place. 

After  some  months  the  Lee  family  left 
Richmond  and  went  to  live  at  the  house  of 
a friend  in  Powhatan  county. 

The  spring  and  summer  of  1865  was  spent 
by  our  hero  in  taking  the  rest  which  he  so 
much  needed. 


Refugee',  one  who  leaves  home  for  safety. 
Siege,  the  act  of  besetting  a fortified  place. 
Hurled,  thrown. 

Genius,  a great  mind. 

Surrfin'der,  the  act  of  yielding  to  another. 

What  do  you  remember  about- — 
Chancellorsville  ? 

The  death  of  General  Jackson? 
Gettysburg  ? 

The  Wilderness  ? 

“ Lee  to  the  rear  ? ” 

Cold  Harbor  ? 

The  siege  of  Richmond  and  Petersburg? 
The  surrender? 

General  Grant’s  kindness  ? 


VIRGINIA.  BATTLE-FIELDS 


' 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


99 


CHAPTER  VI. 

A College  President. 

In  October,  1865,  General  Lee  became 
President  of  Washington  College,  in  Lexing- 
ton, Virginia.  Many  other  places  of  trust 
were  offered  him,  but  he  chose  to  lead  the 
young  men  of  the  South  in  the  paths  of 
. peace  and  learning,  as  he  had  so  nobly  done 
in  times  of  war. 

General  Lee  rode  on  his  war-horse,  Traveler, 
from  Powhatan  county  to  Lexington  in  four 
days.  As  he  drew  rein  in  front  of  the  village 
inn,  an  old  soldier  knew  him,  gave  the  mili- 
tary salute,  and,  placing  one  hand  upon  the 
bridle  and  the  other  upon  the  stirrup,  stood 
and  waited  for  him  to  dismount. 

On  October  2d,  1865,  General  Lee  took 
the  oath  of  office,  before  William  White,  Esq., 
justice  of  the  peace.  The  General  stood, 
dressed  in  a plain  suit  of  gray,  his  arms 


100 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


folded,  and  his  eyes  calmly  fixed  upon  Judge 
Brockenbrough,  as  he  read  the  oath  of  office. 

The  great  chief  was  now  changed  into  a 
college  president.  “I  have,”  said  he,  “a 
task  which  I cannot  forsake.”  That  task 
was  not  easy,  for  the  college  had  lost  much 
during  the  war  and  now  had  to  be  built  up 
in  every  way. 


WASHINGTON  & LEE  UNIVERSITY  AND  COLLEGE  CHAPEL. 


He  went  to  work  with  great  skill  and 
energy,  and  soon  all  felt  that  a great  man 
was  leading  them. 

Some  one  has  aptly  said,  “Suns  seem 
larger  when  they  set;”  so  it  was  with  Lee. 
At  this  time  of  his  life  he  appears  nobler 
and  grander  than  ever  before.  In  his  quiet 


THE  LIFE  OF  OEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


101 


study,  away  from  the  noise  of  the  world,  he 
gave  his  time  and  talents  to  the  young  men 
of  his  dear  South.  His  earnest  wish  was  to 
make  Washington  College  a great  seat  of 
learning,  and  for  this  he  worked  and  made 
wise  plans. 

In  March,  1866,  he  went  to  Washington 
city  to  appear  as  a witness  before  the  com- 
mittee which  was  inquiring  into  the  state  of 
things  in  the  South.  This  was  his  first  visit 
to  any  of  the  cities  since  the  war,  and  it 
caused  much  comment. 

General  Fitz.  Lee  tells  us  that  the  day 
after  his  return,  he  proposed  a walk  with 
one  of  his  daughters,  wTio  said,  in  fun,  that 
she  did  not  admire  the  new  hat  which  he 
was  about  to  put  on.  “You  do  not  like  my 
hat?”  said  he;  “why,  there  were  a thou- 
sand people  in  Washington  the  other  day 
admiring  this  hat.”  This  was  the  only  time 
that  he  spoke  of  the  crowds  of  people  who 
sought  him  while  in  that  city. 

When  . his  nephew,  General  Fitz.  Lee, 


102 


THE  LIFE  OF  OEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


wrote  to  know  what  he  thought  of  having 
the  Southern  dead  moved  from  the  field  of 
Gettysburg,  he  said,  “I  am  not  in  favor  of 
moving  the  ashes  of  the  dead  unless  for  a 
worthy  object,  and  I know  of  no  fitter  rest- 
ing-place for  a soldier  than  the  field  on  which 
he  so  nobly  laid  down  his  life.” 

It  is  sometimes  asked  if  General  Lee  was 
content  in  the  quiet  of  his  home  at  Lexing- 
ton. This  is  what  he  wrote  to  a friend : 

“For  my  own  part,  I much  enjoy  the 
charms  of  civil  life,  and  find,  too  late,  that  I 
have  wasted  the  best  years  of  my  life.” 

In  his  life  as  College  President,  duty  was, 
as  ever,  his  watchword.  He  knew  each  stu- 
dent by  name,  and  just  how  well  he  studied. 

Once,  when  asked  how  a certain  young 
man  was  getting  along,  he  said:  “He  is  a 
very  quiet  and  orderly  young  man,  but  he 
seems  very  careful  not  to  injure  the  health  of 
his  father’s  son.  Now,  I do  not  want  our 
young  men  to  injure  their  health,  but  I 
want  them  to  come  as  near  it  as  possible.” 


TEE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


103 


One  of  his  friends  relates  that,  even  amidst 
this  busy  life  at  college,  he  found  time  to  be 
the  most  polite  gentleman  in  town.  “How 
often  have  I seen  him,”  says  this  friend, 
“in  the  stores  and  shops  of  Lexington,  talk- 
ing pleasantly  with  each  new  comer;  or, 
walking  a mile  through  mud  and  snow  to 
call  on  some  humble  family,  who  will  hand 
it  down  as  an  event  in  their  lives  that  they 
had  a visit  from  General  Lee!  ” 

Seeing,  during  the  first  year,  that  the  col- 
lege chapel  was  not  large  enough,  he  at  once 
began  to  plan  for  a new  one.  He  chose  the 
site  for  it  in  front  of  the  other  houses,  so 
that  it  might  be  in  full  view.  He  then  had 
the  plan  drawn  under  his  own  eye,  and  did 
not  rest  until  it  was  finished  and  opened  for 
the  service  of  God, 

In  this  chapel  his  body  now  rests,  as  I 
shall  tell  you  hereafter. 

Early  in  1870,  in  the  midst  of  these 
labors,  his  health  began  to  fail.  There  was 
a flush  upon  his  cheek,  and  an  air  of  weari- 


104 


TEE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


ness  about  him  which  alarmed  his  friends. 
.Rheumatism  of  the  heart  and  other  parts  of 
the  body  had  set  in,  and  in  March,  1870,  he 
went  south  “to  look  upon  other  scenes  and 
enjoy  the  breezes  in  the  ‘land  of  sun  and 
flowers.’  ” His  daughter  Agnes  went  with 
him. 

On  this  trip  he  once  more  went  to  see  his 
father’s  grave,  on  an  island  off  the  coast 
of  Georgia,  where,  you  remember,  General 
Henry  Lee  was  taken  when  so  ill  on  board 
ship,  and  where  he  died.  They  placed  fresh 
flowers  upon  the  grave,  which  they  found  in 
good  order,  though  the  house  had  been  burnt 
and  the  island  laid  waste. 

His  health  seemed  better  when  again  at 
home ; but  soon  his  step  was  slower,  and  the 
flush  upon  his  cheek  began  to  deepen.  “A 
noble  life  was  drawing  to  a close.” 

On  the  morning  of  October  12,  1870,  the 
news  flashed  over  the  wires  that  General 
Lee  was  dead.  He  had  taken  cold  at  a ves- 
try meeting.  The  church  was  cold  and 


GRAVE  OF  LEE’S  FATHER. 


106 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


damp,  and  a storm  was  raging  outside.  He 
grew  chilly,  and  when  he  reached  home  was 
unable  to  speak. 

Mrs.  Lee  wrote  thus  of  his  last  hours: 

“My  husband  came  in  while  we  were  at 
tea,  and  I asked  where  he  had  been,  as  we 
had  waited  some  time  for  him.  He  did  not 
reply,  but  stood  up  as  if  to  say  grace.  No 
words  came  from  his  lips,  but  with  a sad 
smile  he  sat  down  in  his  chair.” 

He  could  not  speak ! A bed  was  at  once 
brought  to  the  dining-room,  and  the  doctors 
sent  for.  At  lirst  he  grew  better,  but  soon 
a change  came  for  the  worse. 

He  rarely  spoke  except  when  sleeping,  and 
then  his  thoughts  were  with  his  much- 
loved  soldiers  on  the  “dreadful  battle- 
fields.” Among  his  last  words  were,  “Tell 
Hill  he  must  come  up.” 

Once  when  General  Custis  Lee  said  some- 
thing about  his  getting  well,  he  shook  his 
head  and  pointed  upward.  When  his  doc- 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


107 


tor  said,  to  cheer  him,  “How  do  you  feel 
to-day,  General?”  General  Lee  said  slowly, 
“I  feel  better.” 

The  doctor  then  said: 

“You  must  make  haste  and  get  well. 
Traveler  has  been  standing  so  long  in  the 
stable  that  he  needs  exercise.” 

The  General  made  no  reply,  but  shook  his 
head  and  closed  his  eyes.  Once  or  twice  he 
put  aside  his  medicine,  saying,  “It  is  no 
use.” 

On  October  10th,  about  midnight,  he  was 
seized  with  a chill  and  his  pulse  became 
feeble  and  rapid.  The  next  day  he  was  seen 
to  be  sinking.  He  knew  those  around  him, 
but  was  not  able  to  speak.  Soon  after  nine 
o’clock  on  the  morning  of  the  12th,  he  closed 
his  eyes  on  earthly  things  and  his  pure  soul 
took  its  flight  to  God. 

It  was  thought  that  the  strain  and  hard- 
ships of  war,  with  sorrow  for  the  “Lost 
Cause  ” and  the  griefs  of  his  friends,  had 
caused  his  death.  Yet,  to  those  who  saw 


108 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


his  calmness  in  all  the  trials  of  life,  it  did 
not  seem  true  that  his  great  soul  had  been 
worn  away  by  them. 

The  college  chapel  was  chosen  by  Mrs. 
Lee  as  a burial  place  for  her  husband,  and 
one-and-a-half  o’clock  P.  M.  on  the  13th  of 
October  was  the  time  fixed  on  for  moving 
the  remains  to  the  chapel,  where  they  were 
to  lie  in  state  until  Saturday,  the  15th  of 
October,  the  day  for  the  burial. 

At  the  hour  named,  a long  procession, 
with  Professor  J.  J.  White  as  chief  marshal, 
was  formed.  Old  soldiers  formed  an  escort 
of  honor.  Just  after  the  escort  came  the 
hearse,  preceded  by  the  clergy  and  twelve 
pall-bearers.  In  rear  of  the  hearse,  Traveler, 
the  iron-gray  war-horse  of  General  Lee,  was 
led  by  two  old  soldiers.  Then  followed  a 
long  line  of  students,  cadets  and  people. 

The  body  was  borne  to  the  college  chapel 
and  laid  in  state  upon  the  dais,  the  people 
passing  slowly  by,  that  each  one  might  look 
upon  the  face  of  the  dead.  The  body  was 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


109 


clad  in  a simple  suit  of  black  and  lay  in 
a coffin,  strewed  by  loving  hands  with  rare, 
pale  flowers.  The  chapel  was  then  placed 
in  charge  of  the  guard  of  honor.  This  guard 
of  students  kept  watch  by  the  coffin  day  and 
night. 

On  the  14th,  a funeral  service  was  held 
in  the  chapel;  and  on  the  15th  of  October, 
as  I have  said,  the  body  was  borne  to  the 
tomb.  The  flag  of  Virginia  hung  at  half- 
mast  above  the  college  and  a deep  gloom 
rested  upon  all. 

As  the  procession  moved  off,  the  bells  of 
the  town  began  to  toll,  and  the  Virginia 
Military  Institute  battery  fired  minute-guns. 
All  was  simple  and  without  display.  JNTot  a 
flag  was  to  be  seen  along  the  line.  The 
Eev.  J.  William  Jones  tells  us  as  follows  : 

“The  old  soldiers  wore  their  citizen’s 
dress,  with  black  ribbon  in  the  lapel  of  their 
coats ; and  Traveler,  with  trappings  of  mourn- 
ing on  his  saddle,  was  again  led  by  two  old 
soldiers.  The  Virginia  Military  Institute  was 


110 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEE  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


very  beautifully  draped,  and  from  its  turrets 
hung  at  half-mast,  and  draped  in  mourning, 
the  Mags  of  all  the  States  of  the  late  Southern 
Confederacy. 

“When  the  procession  reached  the  Insti- 
tute, it  passed  the  corps  of  cadets  drawn  up 
in  line,  and  a guard  of  honor  presented  arms 
as  the  hearse  wTent  by.  When  it  reached 
the  chapel,  where  a large  throng  had  gathered, 
the  students  and  cadets,  about  six  hundred 
and  fifty  strong,  marched  into  the  left  door 
and  aisle  past  the  remains  and  out  by  the 
right  aisle  and  door  to  their  proper  place. 

“The  rest  of  the  line  then  filed  in,  the 
family,  with  Drs.  Barton  and  Madison,  and 
Colonels  W.  H.  Taylor  and  C.  S.  Venable, 
members  of  General  Lee’s  staff  during  the 
war,  were  seated  just  in  front  of  the  pulpit, 
and  the  clergy  and  the  Faculties  of  the  Col- 
lege and  Institute  had  places  on  the  plat- 
form. 

“The  coffin  was  again  covered  with  flowers 
and  evergreens. 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


Ill 


“Then  the  Rev.  Dr.  Pendleton,  the  dear 
friend  of  General  Lee,  his  Chief  of  Artillery 
during  the  war,  and  his  rector  the  past  five 
years,  read  the  beautiful  burial  service  of 
the  Episcopal  Church.  There  was  no  ser- 
mon, and  nothing  said  besides  the  simple 
service,  as  General  Lee  had  wished. 

“When  the  body  had  been  placed  in  the 
vault,  the  chaplain  read  the  concluding  ser- 
vice from  the  bank  on  the  southern  side  of 
the  chapel,  and  then  the  grand  old  hymn, 

‘ How  firm  a foundation,  ye  saints  of  the  Lord,’ 
was  sung  by  the  people. 

“The  vault  is  of  brick  and  just  reaches 
the  floor  of  the  library.  Upon  the  white 
marble  are  these  words : 

“‘Robert  Edward  Lee, 

Born  January  19,  1807; 

Died  October  12,  1870.” 

The  white  marble  top  has  now  been  re- 
placed by  the  beautiful  recumbent  statue 
by  Valentine,  a Virginia  sculptor. 


112 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


All  the  South  mourned  for  Lee.  Bells 
were  tolled  in  cities  and  villages,  and  meet- 
ings were  held  to  express  the  grief  of  the 
people. 


RECUMBENT  STATUE  OF  LEE. 

This  is  what  a little  girl  wrote  to  Mrs. 
Lee : 

“I  have  heard  of  General  Lee,  your  hus- 
band, and  of  all  his  great  and  noble  deeds 
during  the  war.  I have  also  heard  lately  of 
his  death.  I have  read  in  the  papers  that 
collections  are  being  made  for  the  Lee  mon- 


TEE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


113 


ument.  I have  asked  my  mother  to  let  me 
send  some  money  that  I earned  myself.  I 
made  some  of  the  money  by  keeping  the  door 
shut  last  winter,  and  the  rest  I made  by 
digging  up  grass  in  the  garden.  I send  you 
all  I have.  I wish  it  was  more.  I am  nine 
now. 

“Respectfully, 

“Maggie  McIntyre.” 

Many  noble  men  and  women  also  wrote  to 
Mrs.  Lee,  and  money  was  given,  until  now 
there  are  two  beautiful  statues  of  General 
Lee — one  in  Lexington,  where  he  is  buried, 
and  the  other  in  Richmond,  the  city  he 
fought  so  hard  to  save. 

Virginia  mourned  for  her  noble  son.  The 
State  Legislature  passed  a bill  making  Jan- 
uary 19th,  the  birthday  of  Robert  E.  Lee,  a 
legal  holiday. 

On  that  day,  all  over  the  South,  meet- 
ings are  held  in  memory  of  him,  speeches 


114 


THE  LIFE  OF  OEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


are  made  by  great  men,  and  children  recite 
poems  which  honor  his  name  and  deeds. 

Perhaps  no  man  has  ever  lived,  so  great, 
so  good,  so  unselfish  as  Lee.  Duty  was  the 
key-note  of  his  life.  In  the  midst  of  his 
greatness  he  was  humble,  simple  and  gentle. 
He  loved  little  children  wherever  he  met 
them. 

“One  day,  during  the  war,  a number  of 
little  girls  were  rolling  hoops  on  the  side- 
walks in  Richmond,  when  General  Lee  came 
riding  towards  them.  They  stopped  playing 
to  gaze  at  so  great  a man.  To  their  sur- 
prise, he  threw  his  rein  to  his  courier,  dis- 
mounted, and  kissed  every  one  of  them. 
Then  mounting,  he  rode  away,  with  a sunny 
smile  of  childhood  in  his  heart  and  plans  of 
great  battles  in  his  mind.77 

“While  in  Petersburg,  in  the  winter  of 
1864,  he  went  to  preaching  one  day  at  a 
crowded  church,  and  saw  a little  girl,  dressed 
in  faded  garments,  standing  just  inside  the 
door  and  looking  for  a seat.  ‘Come  with 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


115 


me,  my  little  lady,’  said  the  great  soldier, 
‘and  you  shall  sit  by  me.’  Thus  the  great 
chief  and  poor  child  sat  side  by  side.” 

Once  when  riding  in  the  mountains  with 
one  of  his  daughters,  they  came  upon  a 
group  of  children  who  ran  at  the  sight  of 
him.  General  Lee  called  them  back  and 
asked : 

“Why  are  you  running  away?  Are  you 
afraid  of  me?” 

“Oh ! no,  sir;  but  we  are  not  dressed  nice 
enough  to  see  you.” 

“Why,  who  do  you  think  I am?” 

“You  are  General  Lee.  We  know  you  by 
your  picture.” 

So  great  was  the  love  of  the  people  for 
Lee  that,  after  the  war,  almost  every  home 
had  some  picture  of  the  great  chief. 

General  Lee  knew  all  the  children  in  Lex- 
ington whom  he  met  in  his  walks  and  rides, 
and  it  was  charming  to  see  their  joy  when 
he  would  meet  them. 

Once,  when  calling  upon  the  widow  of 


116 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


General  A.  P.  Hill,  her  little  girl  met  him 
at  the  door  and  held  out  her  puppy  which 
she  had  named  after  our  hero.  “0,  General 
Lee,”  she  cried,  “here  is  ‘Bobby  Lee’;  do 
kiss  him.”  The  great  man  made  believe  to 
kiss  him  and  the  child  was  delighted. 

In  one  of  the  Sunday-schools  of  Lexington 
a prize  was  offered  to  the  child  who  should 
bring  in  the  most  pupils. 

A little  boy  of  five  went  for  his  friend, 
General  Lee,  to  get  him  to  go  to  his  school. 
When  told  that  General  Lee  went  to  another 
school,  he  said  with  a deep  sigh,  “I  am  very 
sorry.  I wish  he  could  go  to  our  school,  and 
be  my  new  scholar.” 

General  Lee  thought  it  quite  funny,  and 
said  kindly; 

“Ah!  C , we  must  all  try  to  be  good 

Christians — that  is  the  great  thing.  I can’t 
go  to  your  school  to  be  your  new  scholar 
to-day.  But  I am  very  glad  you  asked  me. 
It  shows  that  you  are  zealous  in  a good 
cause,  and  I hope  that  you  will  ever  be  so 


TEE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


117 


as  you  grow  up.  And  I do  not  want  you  to 
think  that  I am  too  old  to  go  to  Sunday- 
school.  No  one  is  ever  too  old  to  study  the 
truths  of  the  Bible.” 

When  he  died,  all  the  schools  of  Lexing- 
ton were  closed,  and  the  children  wept  with 
the  grown  people  when  they  heard  that  their 
kind  friend  was  dead. 

A gentleman  tells  this  story,  which  is 
quite  in  keeping  with  General  Lee's  way  of 
pleasing  children  : — 

“When  my  little  girl,  about  four  years 
old,  heard  of  General  Lee’s  death,  she  said 
to  me,  ‘Father,  I can  never  forget  General 
Lee.’  I asked,  ‘Why?’  ‘Because,  when 
Maggie  and  I were  playing  at  the  gate  the 
other  day,  and  General  Lee  was  riding  by, 
he  stopped  and  took  off  his  hat  and  bowed 
to  us  and  said,  ‘Young  ladies,  don’t  you 
think  this  is  the  prettiest  horse  you  ever 
saw  ? ’ And  we  said  it  was  a very  pretty 
horse.  ‘Oh,  no,’  he  said;  ‘I  want  to  know 
whether  Traveler  is  not  the  very  prettiest 


GENERAL  LEE  ON  TRAVELER. 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


119 


horse  you  ever  saw  in  your  life.’  And  when 
we  looked  at  him,  and  saw  how  white  and 
gay  he  was,  we  said,  ‘Yes.’  Then  he 
laughed  and  said,  ‘Well,  if  you  think  he  is 
so  pretty,  I will  just  let  you  kiss  him’ ; and 
then  he  rode  off  smiling,  and  I don’t  believe 

I can  ever  forget  that.” 

Another  gentleman,  who  was  clerk  of  the 
faculty  at  Washington  College,  says  that 
General  Lee  was  very  careful  about  little 
things.  One  day  the  clerk  wrote  a letter  to 
some  one  at  General  Lee’s  request,  in  which 
he  used  the  term  “our  students.”  When 
General  Lee  looked  at  it,  he  said  that  he 
did  not  like  the  phrase  “our  students.”  He 
said  that  we  had  no  property  rights  in  the 
young  men,  and  he  thought  it  best  to  say, 

II  the  students,”  not  11  our  students.”  The 
clerk  struck  out  with  his  pen  the  word 
“our”  and  wrote  “the.”  He  then  brought 
the  letter  to  General  Lee.  “This  will  not 
answer,”  said  he.  “I  want  you  to  write  the 


120 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


letter  over.”  So  the  clerk  had  to  make  a 
fresh  copy. 

One  day  General  Lee  directed  him  to  go 
to  the  Mess  Hall  and  measure  for  a stove- 
pipe. “Set  the  stove  in  its  place  on  its 
legs,”  he  said,  “and  measure  the  height  to 
a point  opposite  the  flue-hole,  and  then  the 
space  from  the  joint  to  the  wall.”  The  man 
returned  with  the  measure.  “Did  you  set 
the  stove  on  its  legs?”  asked  the  General. 
The  clerk  replied  no;  that  the  legs  were 
packed  up  inside  the  stove,  and  that  he 
simply  allowed  for  the  legs.  “But  I told 
you  to  put  the  stove  on  its  legs  and  then 
measure.  Go  back  and  do  as  you  were 
told,”  said  the  General,  who  was  always 
kind  but  meant  to  be  obeyed. 

The  same  gentleman  remembers  this  amus- 
ing incident: — 

One  day  they  saw  a gentleman  coming  up 
the  lawn,  and  wondered  who  he  was.  Gen- 
eral Lee  shook  hands  with  him  as  though  he 
knew  him,  and  chatted  for  some  time.  He 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


121 


tried  in  vain  to  remember  his  name.  In  the 
meantime  Rev.  J.  William  Jones,  whose 
month  it  was  to  lead  the  services  in  the 
chapel,  came  np  and  whispered  to  General  Lee 
to  introduce  the  strange  clergyman  to  him,  so 
that  he  might  ask  him  to  conduct  the  ser- 
vices in  his  place.  But  General  Lee,  with 
his  own  ready  tact,  said:  “Mr.  Jones,  it  is 
time  for  service;  you  had  better  go  in  the 
chapel.” 

After  service,  when  he  could  do  so  without 
being  heard,  General  Lee  asked  Mr.  Jones  to 
find  out  the  stranger’s  name.  He  had  met 
him  in  the  Mexican  war  but  could  not  recall 
his  name.  Mr.  Jones  did  so,  and  General 
Lee,  standing  near,  heard  it,  and  then,  with- 
out making  it  known  that  he  had  forgotten 
his  friend  of  the  Mexican  war,  introduced 
him  to  those  who  were  near.  He  could  not 
think  of  hurting  the  clergyman’s  feelings  by 
letting  him  know  that  he  had  been  forgotten. 

General  Lee  was  always  careful  not  to 
injure  what  belonged  to  others. 


122 


THE  LIFE  OF  OEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


“A  Southern  Girl”  tells  this  story  of  him: 

“When  in  Maryland,  he  gave  strict  orders 
that  no  harm  should  be  done  to  property, 
and  was  once  seen  to  get  down  from  his 
horse  and  put  up  a fence-rail  that  his  men 
had  thrown  down.” 

This  story  of  General  Lee  went  the  rounds 
of  the  Southern  newspapers  in  1864 : — 

“On  the  train  to  Petersburg,  one  very  cold 
morning,  a young  soldier,  with  his  arm  in  a 
sling,  was  making  great  efforts  to  put  on 
his  overcoat.  In  the  midst  of  his  trouble, 
an  officer  rose  from  his  seat,  went  to  him 
and  kindly  helped  him,  drawing  the  coat 
gently  over  the  wounded  arm,  and  then  with 
a few  kind  words  went  back  to  his  seat. 

“Now,  the  officer  was  not  clad  in  a line 
uniform  with  a gilt  wreath  on  his  collar  and 
many  straps  on  his  sleeves,  but  he  had  on 
a plain  suit  of  gray,  with  only  the  three 
gilt  stars  which  every  Confederate  colonel 
could  wear.  And  yet,  he  was  no  other  than 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


123 


our  chief  general,  Robert  E.  Lee,  who  is  not 
braver  than  he  is  good  and  modest.” 

In  the  winter  of  1864,  some  of  the  cavalry 
were  moved  to  Charlottesville,  in  order  to 
get  food  for  their  horses,  and  not  having 
much  to  do,  the  officers  began  to  attend 
dances.  General  Lee,  hearing  of  this,  wrote 
to  his  son  Robert  thus : — 

“I  am  afraid  that  Fitz  was  anxious  to  get 
back  to  the  ball.  This  is  a bad  time  for 
such  things.  * * There  are  too  many 

Lees  on  the  committee.  I like  them  all  to  be 
at  battles,  but  I can  excuse  them  ad  balls.” 

It  is  said  that  during  the  seven  days’ 
battle,  of  which  I have  told  you,  he  was 
sitting  under  a tree,  the  shades  of  evening 
hiding  even  the  stars  on  his  coat  collar, 
when  a doctor  rode  up  and  said : 

“Old  man,  I have  chosen  that  tree  for  my 
field  hospital  and  I want  you  to  get  out  of 
the  way.” 

I will  gladly  give  way  when  the  wounded 


126 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


writes  after  his  loss,  sounds  almost  as  if  he 
were  looking  back  to  the  death  of  a friend : 

“His  labors  are  over,  and  he  is  at  rest. 
He  carried  me  very  faithfully,  and  I shall 
never  have  so  beautiful  an  animal  again.” 

General  Lee  was  noted  for  his  want  of 
hatred  towards  any  one.  He  called  the 
Northern  soldiers  “those  people.”  Once,  in 
the  midst  of  a fierce  battle,  he  said  to  his 
son  Robert,  who  was  bravely  working  at  a 
big  gun,  “That’s  right,  my  son;  drive  those 
people  back.”  When  told  of  Jackson’s  fatal 
wound,  his  eye  flashed  fire  and  his  face 
flushed  as  he  thought  of  his  great  loss;  but 
he  quietly  said: 

“General  Jackson’s  plans  shall  be  carried 
out.  Those  people  shall  he  driven  back 
to-day .” 

The  Rev.  J.  William  Jones  says — that  one 
day  after  the  war,  as  he  went  up  the  street, 
he  saw  General  Lee  standing  talking  to  a 
poor  man.  As  the  man  walked  away  he 
said  to  him:  “That  is  one  of  the  old  sol- 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


127 


diers,  and  added,  ‘he  fought  on  the  other 
side;  but  we  must  not  think  of  that.  ’ ” 

After  the  war,  when  at  the  springs,  a lady 
friend  pointed  to  a man  near  by  and  said  to 

General  Lee,  “That  is  General , of  the 

Federal  Army.  He  is  having  quite  a dull 
time.  He  is  here  with  his  daughters,  but 
we  do  not  care  to  have  anything  to  do  with 
them.” 

“I  am  glad  that  you  told  me,”  said  Gen- 
eral Lee;  “I  will  see  at  once  that  they  have 
a better  time.” 

After  that  he  took  pains  to  make  friends 
with  “those  people,”  and  so  set  the  fashion 

for  others.  General and  his  daughters 

were  soon  having  “a  better  time.” 

General  Lee  was  more  than  brave  and 
tender;  he  was  meek,  yet  with  a heart  big 
enough  to  love  every  one  of  his  soldiers,  and 
great  enough  to  plan  long  marches  and 
glorious  battles. 

After  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  one  of  his 
officers  rode  up  and  told  him  that  his  men 


128  THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 

were  for  the  most  part  killed  or  wounded. 
Lee  shook  hands  with  him  and  said:  “All 
this  has  been  my  fault.  It  is  I who  have 
lost  this  fight,  and  you  must  help  me  out  as 
best  you  can.” 

Not  once  did  Lee 
cast  the  blame 
where  it  belonged, 
but  rode  among 
his  men  with  such 
words  of  cheer  as 
these:  “All  this 
will  come  right  in 
the  end.”  “We 
want  all  good  and 

PICKETT’S  RETURN  AFTER  THE  ° 

battle  of  Gettysburg.  true  men  just 
now.”  “All  good  men  must  rally.”  In  this 
way  he  closed  up  his  broken  lines,  and 
showed  such  a brave  front  that  Meade  did 
not  deem  it  well  to  renew  the  fight. 

Once,  when  some  friends  were  at  his  house 

in  Richmond,  the  Rev.  Dr.  spoke  in 

sharp  terms  of  the  way  in  which  the  North 


THE  LIFE  OF  OEJST.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


129 


had  acted.  General  Lee  said,  “Well!  it  mat- 
ters little  what  they  may  do  to  me ; I am  old, 
and  have  but -a  short  time  to  live  at  best.” 

When  Dr.  got  up  to  go  home,  Gen- 

eral Lee  went  with  him  to  the  door  and  said 
to  him,  “Doctor,  there  is  a good  book  which 
I read,  and  which  you  preach  from,  which 
says,  ‘Love  your  enemies,  bless  them  that 
curse  you,  do  good  to  them  that  hate  you.7 
Do  you  think  your  speech  just  now  quite  in 
that  spirit?” 

When  Dr.  made  some  excuse,  Gene- 

ral Lee  said:  “I  fought  the  people  of  the 
North  because  I believed  that  they  were 
seeking  to  wrest  from  the  South  her  rights. 
* * * I have  never  seen  the  day  when  I 

did  not  pray  .for  them.” 

“One  day  during  the  war,  as  they  were 
looking  at  the  hosts  of  the  foe,  one  of  his 
generals  said,  “ I wish  those  people  were  all 
dead!  ” General  Lee,  with  that  grace  which 
was  his  own,  said,  “How  can  you  say  so? 


130 


THE  LIFE  OF  OEK  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


Now,  I wish  that  they  would  all  go  home 
and  leave  us  to  do  the  same.” 

At  the  close  of  the  war,  some  of  our  best 
men  went  to  seek  homes  in  other  lands. 
This,  General  Lee  deemed  wrong.  He  thought 
that  the  men  of  the  South  should  stay  at 
home  and  build  up  what  had  been  laid 
waste  by  war.  He  wrote  to  one  of  his 
friends  thus  : “ She  (Virginia)  has  need  for 

all  of  her  sons,  and  can  ill  afford  to  spare 
you.”  Once  mere  he  wrote:  “I  think  the 
South  needs  the  aid  of  her  sons  more  than 
at  any  time  of  her  history.  As  you  ask,  I 
will  state  that  I have  no  thought  of  leaving 
her.” 

In  a word,  the  welfare  of  the  impoverished, 
desolated  South  was  his  chief  concern.  He 
kept  in  sight  the  honor  of  the  South,  but  not 
that  hate  to  the  North  which  brought  no  good. 

A lady  who  had  lost  her  husband  in  the 
war,  and  had  brought  her  two  sons  to  col- 
lege, spoke  in  sharp  terms  of  the  North  to 
General  Lee.  He  gently  said:  “Madam,  do 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


131 


not  train  up  your  children  as  foes  to  the 
Government  of  the  United  States.  * * 

We  are  one  country  now.  Bring  them  up 
to  be  Americans.”  Thus  did  this  grand 
man,  with  a sad  heart,  try  to  do  his  duty  at 
all  times  and  on  all  occasions. 

Though  meek  in  the  way  I have  told  you, 
General  Lee  was  at  the  same  time  too  proud 
to  take  the  aid  which,  from  time  to  time,  his 
friends  would  offer  him.  They  knew  that 
he  had  lost  his  “all”  by  the  war,  and  felt 
that  he  should  now  be  helped,  so  that  he 
might  pass  his  days  without  care.  But  this 
proud  man  would  take  no  aid.  When,  in  a 
quiet  way,  the  trustees  of  the  college  gave 
the  house  in  which  he  lived  to  Mrs.  Lee,  and 
also  the  sum  of  three  thousand  dollars  each 
year,  he  wrote,  in  Mrs.  Lee’s  name,  a kind 
but  firm  letter  and  declined  the  gift. 

After  his  death,  they  again  deeded  the 
home  to  Mrs.  Lee  and  sent  her  a check  for 
a large  sum  of  money.  But  she,  with  the 
pride  of  her  husband,  sent  back  the  check 


132 


TEE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


and  would  not  let  the  funds  of  the  college  be 
taken  for  her  use.* 

General  Lee  was  always  neat  in  his  attire. 
This  trait  was  the  cause  of  much  comment 
at  the  time  of  the  “surrender.” 

General  Sharp,  of  the  Federal  Army, 
says: 

“It  was  late  in  the  day  when  it  was 
known  that  General  Lee  had  sent  for  Gen- 
eral Grant.  The  surrender  took  place  in 
the  left-hand  room  of  an  old  house  which 
had  a hall-way  through  it.  In  that 
room  were  a few  officers,  of  whom  I was 
one. 

“A  short  space  apart  sat  two  men.  The 
larger  and  taller  of  the  two  was  the  more 
striking.  His  hair  was  as  white  as  snow. 
There  was  not  a speck  upon  his  coat;  not  a 
spot  upon  those  gauntlets  that  he  wore, 
which  were  as  bright  and  fair  as  a lady’s 
glove.  That  was  Robert  E.  Lee.  The  other 
was  Ulysses  S.  Grant.  His  boots  were 
muddy,  and  he  wore  no  sword. 


TjEJC  and  grant. 


134 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


“The  words  that  passed  between  Lee  and 
Grant  were  few.  General  Grant,  while  the 
men  wrote  out  the  terms  of  the  surrender, 
said : 1 General  Lee,  I have  no  sword ; I rode 
all  night.’  And  General  Lee,  with  the  pride 
which  became  him  well,  made  no  reply,  but 
in  a cold,  formal  way,  bowed. 

“Then  General  Grant,  in  the  attempt  to 
be  polite,  said:  ‘I  don’t  always  wear  a 
sword.’ 

“Lee  only  bowed  again. 

“Some  one  else  then  said:  ‘General  Lee, 
what  became  of  the  white  horse  you  rode  in 
Mexico?  He  may  not  be  dead  yet;  he  was 
not  so  old.’ 

“General  Lee  again  bowed  and  said:  ‘I 
left  him  at  the  White  House,  on  the  Pa- 
munkey  river,  and  I have  not  seen  him 
since.’ 

“Then  there  were  a few  words,  which 
we  could  not  hear,  spoken  in  a low  tone 
of  voice  between  Grant  and  Lee. 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


135 


“At  last,  when  the  terms  of  surrender 
had  all  been  signed,  Lee  arose,  cold  and 
proud,  and  bowed  to  each  man  on  our  side 
m the  room.  And  then  he  went  out  and 
passed  down  that  little  square  in  front  of 
the  house,  and  mounted  the  gray  horse  that 
had  carried  him  all  over  Virginia. 

“When  he  had  gone  we  learned  what  the 
low- toned  words  had  meant.  General  Grant 
turned  and  said:  ‘You  go  and  ask  each 
man  that  has  three  rations  to  turn  over  two 
of  them,  and  send  them  on  to  General  Lee. 
His  men  are  on  the  point  of  starvation.7” 

This  calm,  proud  man  was  the  same  who 
a few  hours  before  had  said : “Then  there  is 
nothing  left  me  but  to  go  and  see  General 
Grant,  and  I would  rather  die  a thousand 
deaths.”  His  superb,  proud  mien  won  from 
the  foe  only  praise  and  respect. 

I must  here  give  you  General  Fitzhugh 
Lee’s  picture  of  the  two  generals  at  that 
time: 

“ Grant,  not  yet  forty-three  years  old,  five 


136 


TEE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


feet  eight  inches  tall,  shoulders  slightly 
stooped,  hair  and  beard  nut-brown,  wearing 
a dark-blue  blouse  ; top-boots,  pants  inside ; 
dark  thread  gloves ; without  spurs  or  sword, 
and  no  marks  of  rank  save  the  straps  of  a 
general. 

“Lee,  fifty-eight  years  old,  six  feet  tall, 
hair  and  beard  silver-gray ; a handsome 
uniform  of  Confederate  gray,  buttoned  to  the 
throat,  with  three  stars  on  collar,  fine  top- 
boots  with  spurs,  new  gauntlets,  and  at  his 
side  a splendid  sword.”  Lee  wore  his  best 
in  honor  of  the  cause  for  which  he  fought. 

General  Lee  never  touched  tobacco,  brandy 
or  whiskey;  he  was  always  a sober  man. 
Just  as  he  was  starting  to  the  Mexican  war, 
a lady  in  Virginia  gave  him  a bottle  of  fine 
old  whiskey,  saying  that  he  would  be  sure 
to  need  it,  and  that  it  was  very  fine.  On 
his  return  home  he  sent  the  bottle,  unopened, 
to  his  friend  to  convince  her  that  he  could 
get  along  without  whiskey. 

General  Lee  once  proposed  to  treat  some 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


137 


of  his  officers,  saying,  “I  have  a demijohn 
which  I know  is  of  the  best”  The  demijohn 
was  brought,  and  the  cups,  held  out  for  the 
treat,  were  tilled  to  the  brim — not  with  old 
“Eye,”  but  with  fresh  buttermilk,  which  a 
kind  lady  had  sent.  The  General  seemed 
to  enjoy  the  joke  hugely. 

Being  once  asked  to  a fine  dinner,  he  re- 
fused all  the  good  dishes,  and  said  to  the 
lady  of  the  house:  “I  cannot  consent  to  be 
feasting  while  my  poor  men  are  nearly 
starving.” 

It  was  his  way  to  send  any  nice  thing  he 
might  have  to  the  sick  and  wounded  in  the 
hospitals. 

A lady  relates  that  when  her  brother 
was  badly  wounded  near  Petersburg,  he  was 
taken  to  a tent  near  a hospital,  out  of 
range  of  the  fire  of  the  foe.  One  day  Gen- 
eral Lee  came  riding  up  and  went  in  to  see 
the  wounded  man.  He  took  him  gently  by 
the  hand  and  told  him  to  cheer  up  and  get 
well;  that  he  had  use  for  all  brave  men  like 


138  TEE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 

him.  Then  he  drew  two  fine  peaches  from 
his  pocket  and  laid  them  on  the  side  of  the 
cot. 

Tears  trickled  down  the  wounded  man’s 
pale  cheeks  as  he  listened  to  these  kind 
words,  and  felt  that  his  chief  cared  so 
much  for  him,  a private  soldier. 

Near  the  close  of  the  war,  when  meat  had 
become  quite  scarce,  an  aide  of  President 
Davis’,  being  at  headquarters,  was  asked  to 
dine.  The  meal  spread  on  the  rough  board 
was  corn-bread,  and  a small  piece  of  meat  in 
a large  mess  of  greens.  The  aid  saw  that 
the  meat  was  not  touched,  though  General 
Lee  had  asked  all  to  take  a piece  of  it. 
When  the  meal  was  over,  the  aide  asked  one 
of  the  men  why  the  meat  was  not  eaten. 
The  reply  was,  that  it  had  been  loaned  by  a 
friend  to  cook  with  the  greens,  and  had  to 
be  returned. 

It  was  General  Lee’s  wish  to  fare  just  as 
his  men  did.  When,  during  the  siege  ol 
Petersburg,  Mrs.  Lee,  fearing  the  great  strain 


TEE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


139 


would  be  too  much  for  him  begged  him 
to  take  more  care  of  his  health,  he  wrote  : 
“But  what  care  can  a man  give  to  him- 
self in  time  of  war?”  He  then  went  on 
to  say  that  he  lived  in  a tent  in  order  to  be 
near  his  men  and  the  officers  with  whom 
he  had  to  act;  that  he  had  been  offered 
rooms  by  kind  friends,  but  that  he  could 
not  turn  their  homes  into  a camp. 

An  English  officer  wrote  this  account  of 
Lee’s  headquarters  in  1862:  “Lee’s  head- 
quarters I found  were  only  seven  or  eight 
pole-tents,  with  their  backs  to  a stake-fence, 
while  a little  stream  of  good  water  flowed 
close  by.  In  front  of  the  tents  were  three 
wagons,  and  a number  of  horses  roamed  over 
the  fields.  No  guards  were  seen  near,  and 
no  crowd  of  aids  swarmed  about.  A large 
farm-house  stood  close  by,  which  would  have 
made  a good  home  for  the  General,  but  Lee 
does  not  let  his  men  rob  or  disturb  the  peo- 
ple, and  likes  to  set  them  a good  example.” 


140 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


It  was  in  this  way  that  he  gained  the 
great  love  of  his  men. 

A short  time  after  the  surrender,  two 
ragged  Confederates,  just  from  prison  in  the 
North,  waited  upon  the  General  and  said 
that  there  were  sixty  other  fellows  around 
the  corner  who  were  too  ragged  to  come. 
They  had  sent  these  two  to  offer  their  loved 
chief  a home  in  the  mountains  of  Virginia. 
“We  will  give  you,”  said  one  of  them,  “a 
good  house  and  a fine  farm.  We  boys  will 
work  for  you  and  you  shall  never  want.” 

Tears  came  to  the  eyes  of  General  Lee  as 
he  told  them  that  he  must  decline  their  gift. 
The  offer  of  these  men  was  but  the  feeling  of 
the  whole  South.  Though  poor  themselves, 
they  would  have  given  him  houses,  lands 
and  money  had  he  let  them. 

Just  after  the  war,  General  Lee  received 
the  following  letter  from  one  of  his  old  soldiers : 

“ Dear  General : 

“We  have  been  fighting  hard  four  years,  and 
now  the  Yankees  have  got  us  in  Libby  Prison. 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


141 


They  are  treating  us  awful  bad.  The  boys  want 
you  to  get  us  out  if  you  can  ; but  if  you  can’t,  just 
ride  by  the  Libby  and  let  us  see  you  and  give 
you  a cheer.  We  will  all  feel  better  for  it.” 

This  letter  touched  the  tender  heart  of 
Lee,  as  well  as  this  story  which  was  told  to 


LIBBY  PRISON. 


him  by  Rev.  J.  William  Jones:  After  the 
war,  the  latter  was  riding  along  a road  one 
day,  when  he  saw  a young  man  plowing  in 
a held,  guiding  the  plow  with  one  hand, 
for  on  the  other  side  was  an  empty  sleeve. 

He  soon  saw  that  the  man  plowing  was  a 
soldier  whom  he  had  known,  and  stopped  to 
speak  to  him.  In  fact,  he  had  known  the 


142 


TEE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E LEE. 


young  man  from  boyhood;  how,  at  the  first 
tap  of  the  drum  he  had  gone  to  fight  for  his 
native  State;  and  how  he  had  been  maimed 
for  life,  and  had  gone  home  to  find  that  he 
must  work  with  one  arm  for  his  bread,  as  his 
fortune  had  been  wrecked  by  the  war.  When 
he  told  the  young  man  how  sad  it  made  him 
to  see  him  thus,  the  latter  said:  “Oh!  it  is 
all  right.  I thank  God  that  I have  one  arm 
left,  and  can  use  it  for  those  I love.” 

When  the  Rev.  Mr.  Jones  told  this  to 
General  Lee,  his  face  flushed,  and  he  said: 
“What  a noble  fellow!  But  it  is  just  like 
one  of  our  soldiers.  The  world  has  never 
seen  nobler  men  than  those  who  belonged  to 
the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia.” 

The  real  corner-stone  of  Lee’s  life  was 
his  trust  in  God.  Whatever  came  to  him  he 
always  said,  “God’s  will  be  done.” 

The  death  of  the  wife  of  his  son,  General 
W.  H.  Fitzhugh  Lee,  gave  General  Lee  much 
grief.  The  former  General  was  wounded  and 
taken  prisoner.  While  in  prison  his  lovely 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


143 


wife  died.  In  this  bitter  grief,  General  Lee 
wrote  to  his  son  these  words: 

“My  whole  trust  is  in  God,  and  I am 
ready  for  whatever  He  may  ordain.” 

While  the  army  was  at  Mine  Run,  in  No- 
vember, 1863,  and  a battle  was  at  hand, 
General  Lee,  with  a number  of  officers  riding 
down  the  line  of  battle,  came  upon  a party 
of  soldiers  who  were  holding  a prayer-meet- 
ing. The  shooting  had  begun  along  the 
lines,  the  cannon  were  already  roaring,  and 
the  mind  and  heart  of  the  great  chief  were 
on  the  battle.  Yet,  as  he  saw  these  men 
bent  in  prayer,  he  dismounted  and  joined  in 
the  simple  worship.  So  these  humble  men 
led  the  devotions  of  their  loved  General. 

One  day  in  1865,  while  riding  along  the 
lines  with  his  staff,  General  Lee  met  the  Rev. 
J.  William  Jones,  who  was  giving  tracts  to 
the  men  in  the  trenches.  He  at  once  reined 
in  his  horse  and  spoke  to  this  “man  of  God,” 
while  the  officers  crowded  around. 

General  Lee  asked  if  he  ever  had  calls  for 


144 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


prayer-books,  and  said  that  if  he  would  come 
to  his  headquarters  he  would  give  him 
some — that  a friend  in  Richmond  had  given 
him  a new  book ; and  upon  his  saying  to  his 
friend  that  he  would  give  his  old  book,  that 
he  had  used  ever  since  the  Mexican  war,  to 
some  soldier,  the  friend  offered  him  a dozen 
new  books  for  the  old  one.  He  had,  of  course, 
taken  so  grand  an  offer,  and  now  had  twelve, 
in  place  of  one,  to  give  away. 

When  the  Rev.  Mr.  Jones  called,  General 
Lee  was  out,  but  had  left  the  books  for 
Mr.  Jones  with  one  of  his  staff.  He  had 
written  on  the  fly-leaf  of  each  book,  “Pre- 
sented by  R.  E.  Lee.” 

We  are  sure  that  if  any  of  these  books 
were  saved  amid  the  din  and  stress  of  war, 
they  are  now  much  prized  by  those  who 
own  them. 

These  are  some  of  the  words  which  General 
Lee  would  use  when  his  army  had  gained  the 
day : ‘ ‘ Thanks  be  to  God.  ” “ God  has  again 

crowned  the  valor  of  our  troops  with  success.” 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


145 


Again,  upon  a fast-day,  he  said  in  an  order, 
“Soldiers ! let  us  humble  ourselves  before  the 
Lord  our  God,  asking,  through  Christ,  the 
forgiveness  of  our  sins.” 

With  the  close  of  the  war,  the  piety  of  this 
great  man  seemed  to  increase.  His  seat  at 
church  was  always  filled,  unless  he  was  kept 
away  by  sickness,  and  he  was  ever  ready 
for  good  works.  He  did  not  find  fault  with 
preachers,  as  so  many  do,  but  was  most  fond 
of  those  who  were  simple  and  true  to  the 
teachings  of  the  Bible. 

Once  he  said  to  a friend:  “Do  you  think 
that  it  would  be  any  harm  for  me  to  hint  to 

Mr.  that  we  should  be  glad  if  he  made 

his  morning  prayers  a little  short?  You 
know  our  friend  makes  this  prayer  too  long. 
He  prays  for  the  Jews,  the  Turks,  and  the 
heathen,  and  runs  into  the  hour  for  our  Col- 
lege recitations.  Would  it  be  wrong  for  me 

to  hint  to  Mr.  that  he  confine  his 

morning  prayers  to  us  poor  sinners  at  the 
College , and  pray  for  the  Turks,  the  Jews, 


146 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


the  Chinese,  and  other  heathen  some  other 
time?  ” 

General  Lee  was  a constant  reader  of  the 
Bible.  One  of  his  friends  relates  that,  as  he 
watched  beside  his  body  the  day  after  death, 
he  picked  up  from  the  table  a well-worn 
pocket  Bible,  in  which  was  written  in  his 
own  hand,  “R.  E.  Lee,  Lieutenant-Colonel  of 
IT.  S.  Army.”  This  little  book  had  been  the 
light  of  his  pathway  through  many  trials. 

General  Lee  gave  freely  of  his  small  means 
to  his  church  and  to  the  poor.  At  a vestry 
meeting  which  took  place  the  evening  of  his 
illness,  the  sum  of  fifty-five  dollars  was  needed 
for  the  pay  of  the  Rector.  Though  he  had 
before  given  his  share,  General  Lee  said  in 
a low  voice,  “I  will  give  the  sum.”  These 
were  the  last  words  he  spoke  to  the  vestry, 
and  this  giving  was  his  last  public  act. 

His  love  for  his  wife  and  children  is  shown 
by  the  tender,  loving  letters  he  wrote  when 
away  from  them.  During  the  Civil  War  his 
anxiety  for  them  was.  great. 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


147 


Just  before  tire  Northern  army  crossed  the 
Potomac,  in  1861,  Mrs.  Lee  left  her  beauti- 
ful home,  Arlington,  and  came  South.  Ar- 
lington was  at  once  seized  by  the  Northern 
Government,  and  the  grounds  were  taken 
for  a burial-place  for  the  Northern  sol- 
diers. 

Mrs.  Lee  and  her 
daughters  then 
sought  a home  at 
the  “White  House,’’ 
on  the  Pamunkey 
river,  where  Wash- 
ington married 
the  “Widow  Custis,” 
and  which  had  been 

RESIDENCE  OE  GENERAL  LEE 

left  by  Mr.  Custis  to  ™ RICHMOND. 

one  of  General  Lee’s  sons.  Mrs.  Lee 
and  her  daughters  were  soon  driven  from 
there  by  the  hosts  of  McClellan,  and  the 
house  was  burned  to  the  ground.  At  last, 
they  found  a home  in  Richmond,  where  they 
lived  until  the  close  of  the  war. 


148 


TEE  LIFE  OF  GEE  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


Mrs.  Lee’s  health  had  failed,  but  a large 
part  of  her  time  was  spent  in  knitting  socks 
for  the  poor  bare-footed  soldiers  of  the  South. 
Her  brave  daughters,  also,  knit  socks, 
and  nursed  the  sick  and  wounded  soldiers. 

Those  were 
sad  times,  and 
the  Lee  family 
suffered  most 
heavily. 

The  death  of 
her  noble  hus- 
band  was  a 
great  shock  to 
Mrs.  Lee,  who 
was  then  not 
able  to  walk 
without  aid. 
She  did  not  survive  him  many  years,  and 
now  rests  beside  him  in  the  College  chapel 
at  Lexington,  Virginia.  Their  daughter 
Agnes,  who  died  shortly  after  her  father, 
is  buried  in  the  same  place. 


MARY  CUSTIS  REE. 


THE  LIFE  OF  OEK  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


149 


Close  by  is  the  grave  of  Stonewall  Jackson. 
How  meet  that  these  two  friends  and  heroes 
should  rest  so  near  each  other! 

The  blue  mountains  of  their  loved  Virginia 
keep  “watch  and  ward”  over  their  graves; 
and  each  year,  pilgrims  from  every  part  of 
the  land  come  to  visit  their  tombs  and  place 
fresh  flowers  and  green  wreaths  upon  them. 

General  Custis  Lee  was  made  President  of 
the  College  in  his  father’s  place.  The  Col- 
lege is  now  called  the  “Washington  and  Lee 
University,”  after  Washington  and  Lee,  the 
two  great  names  in  the  history  of  our 
country. 


Con'course,  a crowd  of  people. 

Cou'rier  (koo'rier) , a man  who  carries  an  order 
for  an  officer. 

Pll'grim,  a traveler  to  holy  places. 

Tell  me — 

What  General  Lee  became  in  1865. 
Something  about  his  work. 

His  visit  to  the  South  in  1870. 


TEE  LIFE  OF  GEE  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 

His  illness  and  death. 

What  day  is  kept  throughout  the  South 
memory  of  Lee  ? 

About  Mrs.  Lee. 

The  tomb  of  Lee. 

Washington  and  Lee  University. 


.LEE’S  COUKT  OF  ABMS,' 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


151 


CHAPTER  VII. 

A People’s  Hero. 

After  the  death  of  General  Lee,  many 
speeches  were  made  in  his  praise,  and  many 
letters  were  written  telling  of  the  sorrow  of  his 
friends.  These  letters  came  not  only  from 
the  South,  but  from  the  North,  and  other 
lands. 

The  New  York  Sun  thus  closes  its  notice : 

“His death  will  awaken  great  grief  through 
the  South,  and  many  people  in  the  North 
will  drop  a tear  of  sorrow  on  his  bier.  * * * 
In  General  Lee,  an  able  soldier,  a sincere 
Christian,  and  an  honest  man  has  been  taken 
from  earth.” 

The  New  York  Herald  said  these  kind 
words  of  him: 

“In  a quiet  autumn  morning,  in  the  land 
he  loved  so  well,  and,  as  he  held,  he  had 
served  so  faithfully,  the  spirit  of  Robert  E. 


GENERAL  ROBERT  E.  LEE, 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEE.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


153 


Lee  left  the  clay  which  it  had  so  much 
ennobled,  and  traveled  out  of  this  world 
into  the  great  and  unknown  land.  * * * 

“Not  to  the  Southern  people  alone  shall 
be  limited  the  tribute  of  a tear  over  the  dead 
Virginian.  Here  in  the  North,  forgetting 
that  the  time  was  when  the  sword  of  Robert 
E.  Lee  was  drawn  against  us,  we  have  long 
since  ceased  to  look  upon  him  as  the  Con- 
federate leader,  but  have  claimed  him  as  one 
of  ourselves;  for  Robert  Edward  Lee  was  an 
American,  and  the  great  nation  which  gave 
him  birth  would  to-day  be  unworthy  of  such 
a son  if  she  looked  upon  him  lightly.” 

The  Pall  Mall  Ga  zette,  London,  England, 
said : 

“The  news  from  America,  that  General 
Robert  E.  Lee  is  dead,  will  be  received  with 
great  sorrow  by  many  in  this  country,  as 
well  as  by  his  fellow-soldiers  in  America. 

“It  is  but  a few  years  since  Robert  E.  Lee 
ranked  among  the  great  men  of  his  time. 
He  was  the  able  soldier  of  the  Southern 


154 


TEE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


Confederacy,  the  leader  who  twice  threatened, 
by  the  capture  of  Washington,  to  turn  the 
tide  of  success  and  cause  a revolution  which 
would  have  changed  the  destiny  of  the  United 
States.” 

The  London  Standard  gave  this  tribute  to 
Lee: 

“A  country  which  has  given  birth  to  men 
like  him,  and  those  who  followed  him,  may 
look  the  chivalry  of  Europe  in  the  face  with- 
out shame;  for  the  lands  of  Sidney  and  of 
Bayard  never  brought  forth  a nobler  soldier, 
gentleman  and  Christian,  than  Robert  E. 
Lee.” 

He  was  called  “the  great  captain  of  his 
age” — “the  great  general  of  the  South” — 
“a  good  knight,  noble  of  heart  and  strong  of 
purpose,  and  both  a soldier  and  a gentle- 
man.” 

These  beautiful  words  were  said  of  him  in 
a speech  soon  after  his  death : 

“General  Lee’s  fame  is  not  bounded  by 
the  limits  of  the  South,  nor  by  the  continent. 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


155 


I rejoice  that  the  South  gave  him  birth.  I 
rejoice  that  the  South  will  hold  his  ashes. 
But  his  fame  belongs  to  the  human  race. 
Washington,  too,  was  born  in  the  South  and 
sleeps  in  the  South,  but  his  fame  belongs  to 
mankind.  We  place  the  name  of  Lee  by 
that  of  Washington.  They  both  belong  to 
the  world. 

“There  is  one  thing  more  I wish  to  say 
before  I take  my  seat.  General  Lee’s  fame 
ought  to  rest  on  its  true  foundation.  He  did 
not  draw  his  sword  in  the  cause  of  slavery — he 
did  not  seek  to  overthrow  the  Government 
of  the  United  States.  He  drew  it  in  the 
defense  of  constitutional  liberty.  That  cause 
is  not  dead,  but  will  live  forever.” 

General  W.  Preston  spoke  of  him  thus : 

“I  knew  him  first  when  he  was  a cap- 
tain. * * At  that  time,  General  Scott 

had  decided  upon  General  Lee  as  a man  who 
would  make  his  mark  if  he  were  ever  called 
upon  to  do  great  work.  He  never  drank,  he 
never  swore  an  oath,  but  there  was  never  a 


156 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


dispute  among  gentlemen  in  which  his  voice 
was  not  more  potent  than  any  other ; his  rare 
calmness  and  dignity  were  above  all.  When 
the  war  came  on,  he  followed  his  native 
State,  Virginia.  * * Scott  maintained 

that  Lee  was  the  greatest  soldier  in  the 
army.  * * 

“I remember  when  Scott  made  use  of  these 
words : ‘ I tell  you  one  thing,  if  I were  on  my 
death-bed,  and  knew  that  a battle  was  to  be 
fought  for  my  country,  and  the  President 
were  to  say  to  me,  ‘Scott,  who  shall  com- 
mand?’ I tell  you  that,  with  my  dying 
breath,  I would  say  Robert  Lee.  Nobody 
but  Robert  Lee!  Robert  Lee,  and  nobody 
but  Lee!  ” 

These  extracts  would  not  be  complete 
without  this  one,  bearing  upon  his  life  as  a 
teacher : 

“And  it  is  an  honor  for  all  the  colleges  of 
the  South,  and  for  all  our  schools,  that  this 
pure  and  bright  name  is  joined  by  the  will 
of  him  that  bore  it  with  the  cause  of  educa- 


TEE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


157 


tion.  We  believe  that,  so  long  as  the  name  of 
Lee  is  cherished  by  Southern  teachers,  they 
will  grow  stronger  in  their  work.  They  will  be 
encouraged  to  greater  efforts  when  they  re- 
member that  Lee  was  one  of  their  number, 
and  that  his  great  heart,  that  had  so  bravely 
borne  the  fortunes  of  an  empire,  bore  also, 
amid  its  latest  aspirations,  the  interests  and 
hopes  of  the  teacher.” 

A great  public  honor  was  paid  to  our 
hero  when  the  bronze  statue  by  Mercie 
(Mersea)  was  unveiled  in  Richmond. 

Shortly  after  the  death  of  General  Lee,  a 
few  ladies  met  in  a parlor  in  Richmond  and 
formed  a society  known  as  the  Ladies’  Lee 
Monument  Association.  Their  plan  was  to 
erect  a monument  in  Richmond  to  the  mem- 
ory of  the  great  chief,  and  to  collect  funds 
for  this  purpose  from  the  entire  South.  They 
began  at  once  their  labor  of  love.  Though 
the  South  was  at  that  time  very  poor,  the 
people  gave  gladly  of  their  small  means 
until  the  Ladies’  Association  had  collected 
over  fifteen  thousand  dollars. 


158 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


Almost  at  the  same  time,  another  “Lee 
Monument  Association”  was  formed  of  the 
, old  soldiers  and  sailors  of  the  Confederacy, 
which  had  General  Jubal  A.  Early  for  its 
president.  The  ladies  of  the  Hollywood 
Memorial  Association  were  asked  to  help, 
and  they  proved  great  workers  in  the  cause. 

I cannot  tell  you  the  many  ways  in  which 
these  and  other  societies  worked  to  raise  the 
money,  but  at  last  there  was  enough  in  the 
treasury  to  erect  the  statue. 

In  the  meantime,  General  Fitzhugh  Lee 
was  made  Governor  of  Virginia,  and  he  at 
once  began  to  take  measures  to  bring  about 
the  erection  of  the  monument.  By  his  efforts 
a “Board  of  Managers”  was  appointed,  whose 
work  was  to  choose  the  design,  the  artist, 
and  the  site  for  the  monument.  The  Allen 
lot,  in  the  western  part  of  the  city,  was  at 
last  chosen  for  the  site,  and  was  accepted  as 
the  gift  of  Mr.  Otway  Allen,  June  18th,  1887. 
It  was  then  the  duty  of  the  Board  to  find  a 
sculptor  worthy  to  execute  this  great  work. 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


159 


After  many  trials,  the  Board  selected 
Monsieur  Mercie,  a Frenchman,  who  was 
both  a painter  and  a sculptor  of  note.  In 
the  summer  of  1887,  the  best  photographs  of 
General  Lee,  as  well  as  one  of  his  shoes  and 
his  uniform,  were  sent  to  the  sculptor.  A 
small  spur,  such  as  General  Lee  wore,  was 
taken  over  to  France  by  Miss  Randolph, 
who  was  one  of  the  Board  of  Managers. 
Monsieur  Mercie  told  her  that  when  General 
Lee’s  shoe  was  sent  to  him,  there  was  no  one 
in  his  household,  except  his  twelve-year-old 
boy,  with  a foot  small  enough  to  wear  it. 

In  working  out  the  likeness  to  General 
Lee,  Monsieur  Mercie  had  the  good  fortune 
to  have  Miss  Mary  Lee,  who  was  then  in 
Paris,  as  a critic  of  his  work. 

On  the  27th  of  October,  1887,  the  corner- 
stone was  laid  with  splendid  rites,  and  on 
the  3rd  of  May,  1890,  the  statue  reached  Rich- 
mond by  way  of  New  York.  It  was  packed 
in  three  boxes.  On  the  7th  of  May,  each  box 
was  placed  in  a separate  wagon,  from  which 


160 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


waved  the  flags  of  Virginia  and  the  Con- 
federacy. Then,  one  wagon  was  drawn  by 
men  of  the  city,  one  by  old  soldiers,  and  one 
by  women  and  girls — the  fine  lady  and  her 
humble  sister  standing  shoulder  to  shoulder. 
They  went  through  the  city,  pulling  the  ropes 
amid  the  cheers  of  twenty  thousand  people, 
until  they  came  to  the  spot  where  the  statue 
was  to  stand.  Such  was  their  love  for  Lee! 
The  monument  in  all  is  about  sixty-one  feet 
in  height,  and  cost  sixty-five  thousand  dol- 
lars. It  shows  the  General  mounted  upon 
his  war-horse,  Traveler.  His  feet  touch  the 
stirrups  lightly,  after  the  manner  of  the 
Southern  horsemen.  He  is  clad  in  a plain 
uniform.  A sash  girds  his  waist,  and  the 
sword  of  a cavalry  officer  hangs  from  his 
side.  He  holds  the  bridle  reins  in  his  left 
hand,  while  in  his  right  is  his  hat,  which  he 
grasps  as  if  he  had  just  taken  it  off  to  ac- 
knowledge the  cheers  of  his  men,  through 
whose  ranks  we  may  suppose  him  to  be 
passing. 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


161 


The  day  decided  upon  for  unveiling  the 
statue  was  Friday,  May  29th,  1890. 

From  North,  South,  East  and  West, 
people  thronged  to  do  honor  to  the  great 
chief. 

All  the  city  was  then  thinking  of  one 
man — Lee,  just  as,  twenty-five  years  before, 
all  their  hopes  had  turned  to  him. 

On  that  day,  the  sun  rose  bright  and  the 
people  with  it.  Soon,  the  noise  of  tramping 
feet  and  the  tap  of  the  drum  were  heard,  and 
ere  long  the  glitter  of  bayonets,  the  flashing 
of  sabers  and  the  waving  of  flags  told  that 
the  line  was  forming.  The  streets  were 
crowded,  and  rang  with  cheers  as  some  noted 
soldier  rode  by  or  an  old  Confederate  flag 
was  waved. 

At  noon,  the  long  line  was  formed  on 
Broad  street,  and  the  parade  began.  Every 
window,  doorway,  and  even  the  house-tops 
along  the  line  of  march,  were  filled  with 
people  eager  to  see  the  great  parade,  which 


162 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


stretched  through  the  streets  four  miles  in 
moving  mass. 

General  Fitzhugh  Lee,  nephew  of  the 
hero,  who  had  been  one  of  his  most  daring 
cavalry  generals  during  the  war,  and  who 
had  formerly  been  Governor  of  Virginia,  was 
chief  marshal  of  the  parade.  Cheer  after 
cheer  arose  as  he  rode  by,  wearing  the 
slouch  hat  of  a cavalryman.  “Our  Fitz,” 
as  his  men  loved  to  call  him,  “was  himself 
again.” 

The  guests  rode  in  open  carriages,  and 
among  them  were  Misses  Mary  and  Mildred 

i 

Lee;  and  General  W.  H.  Fitzhugh  Lee,  wife 
and  sdns.  They  were  followed  by  band 
after  band  of  volunteer  troops  from  all  the 
Southern  States,  in  the  following  order: 
South  Carolina,  North  Carolina,  Mississippi, 
Texas,  Maryland,  District  of  Columbia,  Ala- 
bama, West  Virginia  and  Virginia.  Behind 
these  marched  the  veterans — men  who  had 
fought  in  the  Civil  War,  and  who  came  from 
all  parts  of  the  South.  Brave  men  were 


TEE  LIFE  OF  GEE  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


163 


there  from  Texas,  the  far-off  “Lone  Star 
State.”  With  the  veteran  troops  from  Louis- 
iana was  “the  old  war-horse”  Longstreet, 
who  had  led  the  First  Corps  of  the  Army  of 
Northern  Virginia;  and  at  the  head  of  the 
Georgia  men  was  the  tried  and  true  Gordon. 
Gallant  sons  of  Florida,  Mississippi  and 
Alabama  were  in  line  with  the  brave  men 
of  North  and  South  Carolina.  Veterans 
from  Arkansas,  Tennessee,  Kentucky,  Mary- 
land, West  Virginia  and  Virginia  were  also 
there  to  honor  the  memory  of  their  leader. 

Whenever  and  wherever  these  veterans 
were  seen,  they  were  greeted  with  hearty 
cheers.  Some  were  clad  in  their  old  gray 
uniforms,  faded  and  worn,  and  in  many  cases, 
full  of  bullet-holes.  Here  and  there  along 
the  line  could  be  seen  the  old  and  tattered 
flags  of  the  Confederacy. 

After  the  veterans,  came  the  civic  orders 
in  Richmond,  the  students  of  Washington 
and  Lee  University,  and  the  corps  of  cadets 
from  the  historic  Virginia  Military  Institute. 


164 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEE.  EGBERT  E.  LEE. 


The  cross-bars  and  battle-flags  of  the  Con- 
federacy floated  in  the  breeze  by  the  side  of 
the  “Stars  and  Stripes,”  which  meant  that 
the  people  of  the  United  States  were  one 
nation. 

As  the  line  moved  along  the  streets 
decked  with  floating  flags  and  gay  bunting, 
the  sound  of  the  many  feet  was  lost  in  loud 
and  hearty  cheers  that  arose  from  doors, 
house-tops  and  crowded  sidewalks. 

At  last,  the  throng  at  the  grandstand  heard 
the  roll  of  the  drum  and  the  nearing  din  of 
the  parade,  and  soon  the  bright  line  swept 
into  view.  The  crowd  was  so  dense  that 
persons  on  the  grandstand  could  not  be  seen 
by  those  on  the  ground.  Ringing  cheers 
arose,  not  once,  but  time  and  time  again,  as 
the  great  men  took  their  places  on  the  stand, 
and  it  was  as  late  as  3:45  o’clock  P.  M.  when 
Governor  McKinney  stepped  forward  to  make 
the  opening  speech. 

Then  there  was  prayer  by  Rev.  Dr.  Min- 
nigerode,  who  was  rector  of  St.  Paul’s 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


165 


church  during  the  war,  at  which  church 
General  Lee  worshiped  when  in  Rich- 
mond. 

When  the  prayer  ended,  the  band  played 
Dixie,  the  war-song  of  the  South,  with  whose 
strains  the  old  soldiers  had  so  often  been 
thrilled  as  they  marched  into  battle.  Then 
there  was  a great  noise  which  at  last  wore 
itself  away,  and  General  Early  rose  and 
spoke  a few  words  of  cheer  to  the  old  sol- 
diers. 

The  orator  of  the  day  was  Colonel 
Archer  Anderson,  who  pictured  scene  after 
scene  in  the  life  of  General  Lee  with  great 
force  and  clearness.  Again  the  grand  hero 
seemed  to  live  and  act  in  their  midst — to 
lead  them  on  to  victory  or  to  teach  them 
how  to  bear  defeat. 

When  the  speaker  took  his  seat,  amid 
cheers,  General  Joseph  E.  Johnston  arose 
and  with  two  old  soldiers  marched  to  the 
base  of  the  monument.  Each  of  the  soldiers 
carried  a battle  flag,  tattered  and  torn  by 


166 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


shot  and  shell.  When  the  monument  was 
reached,  General  Johnston  pulled  the  rope, 
and  one  part  of  the  veil  fell  off.  Another 
pull  brought  off  the  rest  of  the  veil,  and  the 
splendid  statue  was  in  plain  view  of  the 
eager  multitude.  A score  of  old  soldiers 
mounted  its  base  and  waved  their  old  Con- 
federate flags  in  loyal,  eager  love  for  their 
dead  chief.  Mighty  cheers  broke  from  the 
watching  throng,  like  the  wild  breaking  of 
a storm,  but  at  last  they  died  away. 

Up  there,  against  the  blue  sky,  kissed  by 
the  rays  of  the  setting  sun,  in  the  midst  of 
his  own  people,  was  the  matchless  face  and 
form  of  Lee. 

Some  wept,  others  shouted,  but  all  thanked 
God  that  he  had  given  to  America  such  _ a 
son  as  Lee. 

Seldom  had  men  looked  on  such  a scene 
before.  At  last  the  crowd  went  slowly 
away,  leaving  their  hero  in  bronze  to  keep 
silent  watch  over  the  city  he  loved  so  well. 
Beneath  him  were  the  homes  of  his  friends, 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE 


167 


and  beyond,  in  “Hollywood”  and  “Oak- 
wood,”  Richmond’s  “cities  of  the  dead,” 
were  the  graves  of  his  fallen  heroes,  and  far 
away,  across  and  a-down  the  James,  were 
his  battlefields. 

As  time  rolls  on,  statue  and  city  will  pass 
away.  But  the  name  and  virtues  of  Robert 
E.  Lee  will  never  die,  for  they  are  written  in 
the  history  of  his  country  and  in  the  Book 
of  Life,  and  will  live  beyond  the  shores  of 
Time. 


Monsieur  (mosyur'),  a French  word  for  Mr. 
Sincere',  honest. 

Acknowledge  (aknol'eg),  to  own  a gift  or 
favor. 

Pot'ent,  strong,  having  power. 

Sid'ney,  an  English  patriot. 

Bayard  (ba'yar'),  a French  hero. 

Pa'triot,  one  who  loves  his  country. 


168 


THE  LIFE  OF  GEN.  ROBERT  E.  LEE. 


Tell  about — 

A great  honor  paid  to  Lee. 
The  laying  of  the  corner-stone. 
The  monument. 

The  parade. 

The  unveiling. 

The  undying  fame  of  Lee. 


GENERAL  R.  E.  LEE’S 


farewell  Address  to  His  Soldiers. 


Headquarters  Army  Northern  Virginia, 

Appomattox  C.  H.,  April  10,  1865. 


General  Orders  No.  9. 

After  four  years  of  arduous  service,  marked  by  unsurpassed 
courage  and  fortitude,  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  has 
been  compelled  to  yield  to  overwhelming  numbers  and  resources. 

I need  not  tell  the  survivors  of  so  many  hard-fought  battles, 
who  have  remained  steadfast  to  the  last,  that  I have  consented 
to  this  result  from  no  distrust  of  them  : but,  feeling  that  valor 
and  devotion  could  accomplish  nothing  that  would  compensate 
for  the  loss  that  must  have  attended  a continuance  of  the  con- 
test, I determined  to  avoid  the  useless  sacrifice  of  those  whose 
past  services  have  endeared  them  to  their  countrymen. 

By  the  terms  of  the  Agreement,  Officers  and  men  can  return 
to  their  homes  and  remain  until  exchanged.  You  will  take  with 
you  the  satisfaction  that  proceeds  from  the  consciousness  of  duty 
faithfully  performed,  and  I earnestly  pray  that  a merciful  Ood 
will  extend  to  you  His  blessing  and  protection.  With  an  unceas-  ' 
ing  admiration  of  your  constancy  and  devotion  to  your  Country, 
and  a grateful  remembrance  of  your  kind  and  generous  consider- 
ation for  myself,  I bid  you  all  an  Affectionate  Farewell. 


Lee  to  the  Rear. 


JOHN  R.  THOMPSON. 


Dawn  of  a pleasant  morning  in  May 
Broke  thro’  the  Wilderness,  cool  and  gray, 

While  perched  in  the  tallest  tree-tops,  the  birds 
Were  carolling  Mendelssohn’s  “Songs  without 
words.” 

Far  from  the  haunts  of  men  remote 
The  brook  brawled  on  with  a liquid  note, 

And  nature,  all  tranquil  and  lovely,  wore 
The  smile  of  spring,  as  in  Eden  of  yore. 

Little  by  little,  as  daylight  increased, 

And  deepened  the  roseate  flush  in  the  East — 
Little  by  little  did  morning  reveal 
Two  long,  glittering  lines  of  steel ! 


172 


SOUTHERN  WAR  POEMS. 


Where  two  hundred  thousand  bayonets  gleam, 
Tipped  with  the  light  of  the  earliest  beam, 

And  the  faces  are  sullen  and  grim  to  see 
In  the  hostile  armies  of  Grant  and  Lee. 

All  of  a sudden,  ere  rose  the  sun, 

Pealed  on  the  silence  the  opening  gun — 

A little  white  puff  of  smoke  there  came, 

And  anon  the  valley  was  wreathed  in  flame. 

Down  on  the  left  of  the  rebel  lines, 

Where  a breastwork  stands  in  a copse  of 
pines, 

Before  the  rebels  their  ranks  can  form 

The  Yankees  have  carried  the  place  by  storm. 

Stars  and  Stripes  o’er  the  salient  wave, 

Where  many  a hero  has  found  a grave, 

And  the  gallant  Confederates  strive  in  vain 
The  ground  they  have  drenched  with  their  blood 
to  regain. 

Yet  louder  the  thunder  of  battle  roared — 

Yet  a deadlier  fire  on  their  columns  poured — 
Slaughter,  infernal,  rode  with  Despair, 

Furious  twain,  through  the  smoky  air. 


SOUTHERN  WAR  POEMS. 


173 


Not  far  off  in  the  saddle  there  sat 
A gray-bearded  man  with  black  slouch  hat ; 

Not  much  moved  by  the  fire  was  he — 

Calm  and  resolute  Robert  Lee. 

Quick  and  watchful,  he  kept  his  eye 
On  two  bold  rebel  brigades  close  by — 

Reserves  that  were  standing  (and  dying)  at 
ease 

Where  the  tempest  of  wrath  toppled  over  the 
trees. 

For  still  with  their  loud,  bull-dog  bay 
The  Yankee  batteries  blazed  away, 

And  with  every  murderous  second  that  sped 
A dozen  brave  fellows,  alas  ! fell  dead. 

The  grand  old  beard  rode  to  the  space 
Where  Death  and  his  victims  stood  face  to  face. 
And  silently  waves  his  old  slouch  hat- — 

A world  of  meaning  there  was  in  that ! 

<!  Follow  me  ! Steady  ! We’ll  save  the  day  ! ” 

This  was  what  he  seemed  to  say  ; 

And  to  the  light  of  his  glorious  eye 
The  bold  brigades  thus  made  reply : 


174 


SOUTHERN'  WAR  POEMS. 


“We'll  go  forward,  but  you  must  go  back.” 

And  they  moved  not  an  inch  in  the  perilous 
track. 

“ Go  to  the  rear,  and  we’ll  give  them  a rout.” 
Then  the  sound  of  the  battle  was  lost  in  their 
shout. 

Turning  his  bridle,  Robert  Lee 

Rode  to  the  rear.  Like  the  waves  of  the  sea 

Bursting  the  dykes  in  their  overflow, 

Madly  his  veterans  dashed  on  the  foe  ; 

And  backwood  in  terror  that  foe  was  driven, 
Their  banners  rent  and  their  columns  riven 
Wherever  the  tide  of  battle  rolled, 

Over  the  Wilderness,  wood,  and  wold. 

Sunset  out  of  a crimson  sky 
Streamed  o’er  a field  of  a ruddier  dye, 

And  the  brook  ran  on  with  a purple  stain 
From  the  blood  of  ten  thousand  foemen  slain. 

Seasons  have  passed  since  that  day  and  year, 
Again  o er  the  pebbles  the  brook  runs  clear, 

And  the  field  in  a richer  green  is  drest 
Where  the  dead  of  the  terrible  conflict  rest. 


SOUTHERN  WAR  POEMS. 


175 


Hushed  is  the  roll  of  the  rebel  drum ; 

The  sabres  are  sheathed  and  the  cannon  are 
dumb, 

And  Fate,  with  pitiless  hand,  has  furled 
The  flag  that  once  challenged  the  gaze  of  the 
world. 

But  the  fame  of  the  Wilderness  fight  abides, 

And  down  into  the  history  grandly  rides, 

Calm  and  unmoved,  as  in  battle  he  sat, 

The  gray-bearded  man  in  the  black  slouch  hat. 


The  Conquered  Banner. 


By  the  Rev.  J.  A.  Ryan,  Catholic  Priest,  of  Knoxville,  Tenn, 
Music  by  A.  E.  Blackmar. 


Furl  that  banner,  for  ’ tis  weary ; 
Round  its  staff  ’tis  drooping  dreary 
Furl  it,  fold  it,  it  is  best  ; 

For  there’s  not  a man  to  wave  it, 

And  there’s  not  a sword  to  save  it, 
And  there’s  not  one  left  to  lave  it 
In  the  blood  which  heroes  gave  it ; 
And  its  foes  now  scorn  and  brave  it — 
Furl  it,  hide  it,  let  it  rest. 


SOUTHERN  WAR  POEMS. 

Take  that  banner  down — ’tis  tattered, 
Broken  is  its  staff  and  shattered, 

And  the  valiant  hosts  are  scattered 
Over  whom  it  floated  high. 

Oh  ! ’tis  hard  for  us  to  fold  it, 

Hard  to  think  there’s  none  to  hold  it, 
Hard  that  those  who  once  enrolled  it 
Now  must  furl  it  with  a sigh. 

Furl  that  banner,  furl  it  sadly — 

Once  ten  thousands  hailed  it  gladly, 

And  ten  thousands  wildly,  madly, 

Swore  it  should  forever  wave, 

Swore  that  foeman’s  sword  should  never 
Hearts  like  theirs  entwined  dissever, 

Till  that  flag  would  float  forever 

O’er  their  freedom  or  their  grave. 

Furl  it ! for  the  hands  that  grasped  it, 
And  the  hearts  that  fondly  clasped  it, 
Cold  and  dead  are  lying  low  ; 

And  the  banner,  it  is  trailing, 

While  around  it  sounds  the  wailing 
Of  its  people  in  their  woe. 


SOUTHERN  WAR  POEMS. 


177 


For,  though  conquered,  they  adore  it, 
Love  the  cold,  dead  hands  that  bore  it. 
Weep  for  those  who  fell  before  it, 
Pardon  those  who  trailed  and  tore  it, 
And  oh  ! wildly  they  deplore  it, 

Now  to  furl  and  fold  it  so. 

Furl  that  banner  ! true  ’tis  gory, 

Yet  ’tis  wreathed  around  with  glory, 
And  ’twill  live  in  song  and  story, 

Though  its  folds  are  in  the  dust ; 
For  its  fame  on  brightest  pages, 

Penned  by  poets  and  by  sages, 

Shall  go  sounding  down  the  ages, 

Furl  its  folds  though  now  we  must. 

Furl  that  banner  ! softly,  slowly, 

Treat  it  gently — it  is  holy — 

For  it  droops  above  the  dead  ; 
Touch  it  not,  unfold  it  never  ; 

Let  it  droop  there,  furled  forever, 

For  its  people’s  hopes  are  dead. 


178 


SOUTHERN  WAR  POEMS. 


Music  in  Camp. 

JOHN  R.  THOMPSON. 

Two  armies  covered  hill  and  plain, 

Where  Rappahannock’s  waters 

Ran,  deeply  crimsoned  with  the  stain 
Of  battle’s  recent  slaughters. 

The  summer  clouds  lay  pitched  like  tents 
In  meads  of  heavenly  azure  ; 

And  each  dread  gun  of  the  elements 
Slept  in  its  hid  embrasure. 

The  breeze  so  softly  blew,  it  made  , 

No  forest  leaf  to  quiver, 

And  the  smoke  of  the  random  cannonade 
Rolled  slowly  from  the  river. 

And  now,  where  circling  hills  looked  down, 
With  cannon  grimly  planted, 

O’er  listless  camp  and  silent  town, 

The  golden  sunset  slanted. 

When  on  the  fervid  air  there  came 
A strain,  now  rich,  now  tender; 

The  music  seemed  itself  aflame 
With  day’s  departing  splendor. 


SOUTHERN  WAR  POEMS. 


179 


A Federal  band,  which  eve  and  morn 
Played  measures  brave  and  nimble, 

Had  just  struck  up  with  flute  and  horn 
And  lively  clash  of  cymbal. 

Down  flocked  the  soldiers  to  the  banks, 

Till  margined  by  its  pebbles, 

One  wooded  shore  was  blue  with  “ Yanks,” 
And  one  was  gray  with  “ Rebels.” 

Then  all  was  still,  and  then  the  band, 

With  movements  light  and  tricksy, 

Made  stream  and  forest,  hill  and  strand, 
Reverberate  with  “ Dixie.” 

The  conscious  stream  with  burnished  glow, 
Went  proudly  o’er  its  pebbles, 

But  thrilled  throughout  its  deepest  flow 
With  yelling  of  the  rebels. 

Again  a pause,  and  then  again 
The  trumpets  pealed  sonorous, 

And  Yankee  Doodle  was  the  strain 
To  which  the  shores  gave  chorus. 

The  laughing  ripple  shoreward  flew 
To  kiss  the  shining  pebbles ; 

Loud  shrieked  the  swarming  boys  in  blue 
Defiance  to  the  Rebels. 


180 


SOUTHERN  WAR  POEMS. 


And  yet  once  more  the  bugles  sang 
Above  the  stormy  riot ; 

No  shout  upon  the  evening  rang — 

There  reigned  a holy  quiet. 

The  sad,  low  stream,  its  noiseless  tread 
Poured  o’er  the  glistening  pebbles  ; 

And  silent  now  the  Yankees  stood, 

And  silent  stood  the  Rebels. 

No  unresponsive  soul  had  heard. 

That  plaintive  note’s  appealing, 

So  deeply  Home,  Sweet  Home,  had  stirred 
The  hidden  founts  of  feeling. 

Or  blue  or  gray,  the  soldier  sees, 

As  by  the  wand  of  fairy, 

The  cottage  ’neath  the  live-oak  trees, 

The  cabin  by  the  prairie. 

Or  cold  or  warm,  his  native  skies 
Bend  in  their  beauty  o’er  him  ; 

Seen  through  the  tear-mist  in  his  eyes, 

His  loved  ones  stood  before  him. 

As  fades  the  iris  after  rain 
In  April’s  tearful  weather, 

The  vision  vanished  as  the  strain 
And  daylight  died  together. 


SOUTHERN  WAR  POEMS. 


181 


But  memory,  waked  by  music’s  art, 
Expressed  in  simplest  numbers, 

Subdued  the  sternest  Yankee’s  heart, 

Made  light  the  Rebel’s  slumbers. 

And  fair  the  form  of  music  shines, 

That  bright,  celestial  creature, 

Who  still  ’mid  war's  embattled  lines 
Gave  this  one  touch  of  nature. 

— Louisville  "Journal. 


The  South. 


F AT  HER  RYAN. 


Yes,  give  me  the  land 

Where  the  ruins  are  spread, 
And  the  living  tread  light 
On  the  heart  of  the  dead  ; 
Yes,  give  me  the  land 
That  is  blest  by  the  dust, 
And  bright  with  the  deeds 
Of  the  down-trodden  just. 


182 


SOUTHERN  WAR  POEMS. 


Yes,  give  me  the  land 

Where  the  battle’s  red  blast 
Has  flashed  on  the  future 
The  form  of  the  past ; 

Yes,  give  me  the  land 

That  hath  legends  and  lays 
That  tell  of  the  memories 
Of  long-vanished  days. 

Yes,  giveme  the  land 

That  hath  story  and  song 
To  tell  of  the  strife 

Of  the  right  with  the  wrong  ; 
Yes,  give  me  the  land 

With  a grave  in  each  spot 
And  names  in  the  graves 
That  shall  not  be  forgot. 

Yes,  give  me  the  land 

Of  the  wreck  and  the  tomb; 
There’s  grandeur  in  graves — 
There’s  glory  in  gloom. 

For  out  of  the  gloom 

Future  brightness  is  born  ; 
As,  after  the  night, 

T nnms  the  sunrise  of  morn. 


SOUTHERN  WAR  POEMS. 


183 


And  the  graves  of  the  dead, 
With  the  grass  overgrown, 
May  yet  form  the  footstool 
Of  Liberty’s  throne  ; 

And  each  simple  wreck 
In  the  way-path  of  might 
Shall  yet  be  a rock 

In  the  temple  of  Right. 


Date  Due 

s m 

JUL  1 6 'zZ 

1^2  7 '41 

L.  B.  Cat.  No.  1137 

923.573  M-79*  36223 


